Leon Panetta, former US defence secretary and CIA director, has said Donald Trump is responsible for the escalating crisis with Iran, accusing the president of naivety and leaving the US with no exit strategy. Panetta told the Guardian that Trump is stuck between 'a rock and a hard place' after three weeks of war, and that his administration failed to anticipate Iran's ability to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil chokepoint.
Panetta recalled that national security officials under previous administrations were always aware of Iran's potential to create an energy crisis by blocking the strait. 'For some reason, either they didn't consider that could be a consequence or they thought the war would end quickly,' he said. 'They were not prepared for it and they're now paying a price.'
The conflict began on 28 February with a surprise Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, 13 US service members and over 1,400 Iranians have been killed, according to Iranian officials. Khamenei has been succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, whom Panetta described as a younger hardliner.
Panetta criticised Trump's handling of the war, saying he 'tends to be naive about how things can happen' and that his approach is 'what kids do, not what presidents do'. He added that Trump cannot declare victory without a ceasefire, and that Iran holds 'the gun of the Strait of Hormuz against his head'.
The former CIA chief dismissed the possibility of help from allies, noting that Trump has branded Nato a 'paper tiger' and mocked its members. 'Nobody else is responsible for where he's at than Donald Trump,' Panetta concluded.
