- Possible attacks could focus on key Iranian infrastructure sites.
- Another plan involves securing the Strait of Hormuz shipping route.
- Operation could include ground forces to reopen the key oil passage.
President Donald Trump will receive a briefing on Thursday from the head of US Central Command, Brad Cooper, on new plans for potential military action against Iran, Axios reported Wednesday.
The report cited unidentified sources. The White House and US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Centcom has drawn up a plan for a “short and powerful” wave of attacks on Iran, likely including infrastructure targets, Axios reported with reference to 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 attacks on Israel and the Gulf states with US bases. American-Israeli attacks 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 amount to war crimes. The 1949 Geneva Conventions on Humanitarian Conduct in War prohibit attacks on locations deemed vital to civilians.
Another plan expected to be shared with Trump is focused on taking over part of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen it to commercial shipping, the report added, saying such an operation could involve ground forces.
The Iran war, which remains unpopular in the US, has rattled markets and boosted oil prices. The war has brought traffic through the strait, a choke point for about 20% of global oil and liquid natural gas shipments, to a near standstill.
Washington hopes to make Iran more flexible at the negotiating table on nuclear issues, Axios reported.
Another option that may come up in the briefing is a special forces operation to secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Axios said.
Trump has cited Iran’s nuclear program as an imminent threat. Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons, but says it has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, is also expected to attend Thursday’s briefing, Axios reported.
