- Possible strikes could focus on key Iranian infrastructure sites.
- Another plan is to secure the Strait of Hormuz sea route.
- The operation could include ground forces to reopen the key oil passage.
President Donald Trump will receive a briefing from US Central Command chief Brad Cooper on Thursday on new plans for possible military action against Iran. Axios reported Wednesday.
The report cites unidentified sources. The White House and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Centcom has prepared a plan for a wave of “short and powerful” strikes against Iran, likely including infrastructure targets, Axios reported, citing sources.
A fragile ceasefire in the Iran war began three weeks ago.
The war began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own strikes against Israel and Gulf states with U.S. bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.
Trump has previously threatened to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure. International law experts say such strikes could constitute war crimes. The 1949 Geneva Conventions on Humanitarian Conduct in War prohibit attacks on sites considered essential to civilians.
Another plan expected to be shared with Trump aims to retake part of the Strait of Hormuz in order to reopen it to commercial shipping, the report added, saying such an operation could involve land forces.
The war in Iran, which remains unpopular in the United States, has shaken markets and driven up oil prices. The war has virtually paralyzed traffic across the strait, a chokepoint for about 20% of global shipments of oil and liquefied natural gas.
Washington hopes to make Iran more flexible at the negotiating table on nuclear issues, Axios reported.
Another option that could be raised during the briefing is a special forces operation to secure Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, Axios said.
Trump has cited Iran’s nuclear program as an imminent threat. Tehran denies it wants to acquire nuclear weapons but says it has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine is also expected to attend Thursday’s briefing. Axios reported.
