– While Iran’s military has toned down its rhetoric about military capabilities and exercises, it continues a low-profile buildup of weapons in and near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a classified Pentagon assessment.
“Iran’s military strategy is defensive” and designed to “deter an attack, survive an initial strike, retaliate against an aggressor and force a diplomatic solution” while avoiding major concessions, says the unclassified executive summary of a congressionally mandated Pentagon report submitted to lawmakers on July 7. The new assessment says, “Tehran is quietly fielding” increasing numbers of anti-ship ballistic missiles, “small but capable submarines,” coastal missile batteries and attack craft. [Read Full Story at Bloomberg]
