US officials say escort mission in Hormuz may take weeks

Plans to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz could take weeks to implement, The New York Times reported, quoting White House officials.

Official sources also assessed that the war with Iran could last four to six weeks, the report said. 

According to the report, the Revolutionary Guard may keep nuclear fuel as leverage in negotiations, while Iranian attacks on regional oil facilities followed earlier strikes on Iranian oil storage tanks.

Iran’s ability to threaten the strategic waterway and widen the conflict is greater than expected, it said.