White House official says U.S. holds strong position over Strait of Hormuz, denies new policy on Iran enrichment

What happened: A White House official told Al Jazeera that Vice President Trump’s comments about reducing Iran’s enrichment do not represent a new policy position.

Supporting report and attribution: Mehr News reported that a U.S. media outlet claimed the White House had asked the Pentagon to prepare options to strike targets inside Iran.

Official statements and details: A White House official said the United States is in a strong position due to control of the Strait of Hormuz and the collapse of Iran’s economy. The official said the strait is open, all naval mines have been cleared or detonated, and tens of millions of barrels of oil are escorted daily when transiting the strait. The official added that Trump will not allow Iran’s leadership to “play him” as, the official said, happened under previous presidents, and that Trump is comfortable letting Iran’s ‘inevitable collapse’ take its course. (Source: Hamshahri newspaper)