How Trump and his advisers miscalculated Iran’s response to war

Synopsis The Trump administration underestimated Iran’s reaction to military strikes. This led to Iran threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route. Commercial shipping halted, oil prices surged, and Americans faced higher gasoline costs. The US government is now scrambling to manage the economic fallout and reopen the crucial waterway. On Feb. 18, as President Donald Trump weighed whether to launch military attacks on Iran, Chris Wright, the energy secretary, told an interviewer he was not concerned that the looming war might disrupt oil supplies in the Middle East and wreak havoc in energy markets. Even…