AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Former U.S. Secretary of Defense during Donald Trump's first term, acknowledging that Iran currently has the upper hand, said that Iran's leaders have gained confidence in their position in negotiations and the leverage they possess through control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Mark Esper, former U.S. Secretary of Defense during Donald Trump's first term, in an interview regarding Iran's new conditions for the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, said that these conditions indicate that Iranian officials have gained confidence in their position in negotiations and the leverage they possess as a result of controlling this strait.
Esper said, "This shows that they believe they have the upper hand, they believe they are winning, and in fact that is the case. This is what we are now facing."
He further added, "These demands they have made show that they have become bolder and feel confident about their position in the world."
The former U.S. Secretary of Defense also pointed to the severe shortage of some U.S. munitions amid the ongoing war with Iran and the administration's efforts to increase production.
Esper said, "When it comes to the fact that it takes two years to build a Patriot missile, anything we do now will not help in the short term."
Esper, referring to the deep-rooted nature of the munitions shortage problem in the United States, said this situation dates back several decades, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the consumption or shipment of munitions in subsequent years, have exacerbated it.
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