TEHRAN - American sources have recently revealed that senior U.S. commanders had warned President Donald Trump  before the start of the aggression against Iran that such a war could lead to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump reportedly responded to this warning by saying that Iran would surrender before things ever reached that stage.

Now, more than two weeks after the war began, it has become clear that Trump’s calculations on this matter were nothing more than wishful thinking. The Strait of Hormuz is under Iran’s full surveillance and control, and no vessel can pass through this vital waterway without Iran’s permission. According to Iran, the strait is closed only to the aggressors and their partners in this war—an outlook that has created a nightmare scenario for the United States. Western analysts are already warning that oil prices could reach $150 to $200 within the next two weeks.

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz and its consequences for the United States and its partners is not the only sign of America’s failure. The enemy believed that the heavy first wave of attacks would trigger several decisive developments within just a few days. They assumed that with the assassination of Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and several senior commanders, the governing structure would quickly fall into crisis and then collapse. Perhaps they cannot be entirely blamed for this assumption, because almost any other country might have been brought to its knees by such a devastating storm. But Iran is a land of unknowns and surprises.

In the political and governance arena, the responsible institutions—especially the executive bodies—not only did not suffer paralysis, but instead worked with strength and determination to remain present in the field, managing the consequences of the war at various levels and keeping the wheels of daily life and the country’s affairs turning. At the same time, the country’s military—despite being the main target of the heaviest attacks and losing a number of its brave senior commanders—did not bow its head. Instead, it quickly shifted to an offensive phase and imposed a regional war on the enemy.

Although the enemy is trying to conceal the scale of Iranian fighters’ achievements through strict censorship, even the limited and incomplete information available shows that at least ten U.S. military bases across different countries in the region have been struck by heavy Iranian missile and drone attacks and have suffered significant damage. The situation is such that, according to a well-known Western media outlet, Iran has left the United States stunned on the battlefield.

All of this, beyond calculations of visible military and material capabilities, stems from the strong will and faith of the Iranian people—the very factor that had no place in the enemy’s calculations and ultimately became the point of its failure. Thirty years ago, Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Revolution, said in one of his speeches: “This nation is awake. This nation remains faithful to its beliefs. By God’s grace, the path, movement, and progress of this nation still go far beyond the analyses of its enemies. In their analyses and statements we see how deeply mistaken they are in understanding the realities of this country.

Those same flawed analyses shape their decisions, and flawed decisions inevitably lead them to defeat. That is why they suffer defeat after defeat—because they do not know our nation, our revolution, or our country. God has willed that His banner remain raised and that His religion gain honor. Why? Because the believers in this faith have committed themselves to it.”

Today is the day when the divine prediction of that great man is being fulfilled.