US President Donald Trump will be briefed Thursday by CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper on fresh plans for possible military action against Iran, Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The briefing underscores that the president is actively weighing the resumption of major combat operations, either to break the current stalemate in negotiations or to deliver a decisive blow before concluding the conflict.
CENTCOM has developed a proposal for a “short and powerful" wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure, with the goal of forcing Tehran back to the negotiating table with greater flexibility on the nuclear issue, three sources with knowledge of the plans told Axios.
A separate option expected to be presented involves seizing control of part of the Strait of Hormuz to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping. Such an operation could require the deployment of ground forces, one source indicated.
Planners have also revisited the possibility of a special forces mission aimed at securing Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
US military officials are also preparing for the possibility that Iran may retaliate against American forces in the region in response to the ongoing blockade.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine is also expected to participate in Thursday’s briefing.
The White House declined to comment on the planned meeting.
The report comes after Trump rejected Iran’s most recent proposal to end the war, telling Axios earlier on Wednesday that he intends to maintain a naval blockade on Iran until Tehran agrees to terms addressing American concerns over its nuclear program.
Trump indicated that, at present, he views the blockade as a more effective tool than direct military action, telling the news website, "The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing."
Speaking to reporters later in the day, Trump said that efforts to bring an end to the war with Iran are continuing through telephone conversations rather than in-person meetings.
Speaking from the Oval Office, the president expressed frustration over the lengthy travel required to send American delegations to Islamabad for talks that have so far failed to resolve the conflict.
“We have talks, we’re having talks with them now, and we’re not flying anymore with 18-hour flights every time we want to see a piece of paper," the president told reporters.
“We’re doing it telephonically, and it’s very nice. I make a call, or I have my people make a call, and you know the answer in 15 - I always like face to face, you know, I consider it better," he continued. “But when you have to fly 18 hours every time you want to have a meeting, and you know what the meeting is all about, and you know they’re going to give you a piece of paper that you don’t like before you even leave, it’s ridiculous, and they’ve come a long way."