Trump reviews plans for a new attack on Iran
Sources confirm that the U.S. Central Command has prepared a plan to launch a wave of “short and powerful” strikes against Iran, likely to include infrastructure targets.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to receive a briefing from the commander of the United States Central Command, General Brad Cooper, regarding new plans for potential military action against Iran, according to a report by Axios. Trump had previously announced his intention to impose a prolonged blockade on the Islamic Republic.
According to the report, based on anonymous sources, the briefing is scheduled for Thursday. The White House did not immediately comment.
The website quoted the sources as saying that U.S. Central Command has developed a plan for a wave of “short and powerful” strikes on Iran, likely to target infrastructure.
The report added that Washington hopes to make the Islamic Republic more flexible at the negotiating table regarding the nuclear file. Another plan expected to be presented to Trump would focus on taking control of part of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen it to commercial navigation, an operation that could include ground forces.
The site also noted that another option that may be raised during the briefing involves a special forces operation to secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
It is also expected that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, will attend the briefing on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Trump instructed his aides to prepare for imposing a prolonged blockade on Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal citing U.S. officials, indicating a possible escalation in the Iranian file and a deadlock in negotiations mediated by Pakistan.
The report stated that in recent meetings the president favored continuing pressure on Iran’s economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports. He believes that other options, including resuming bombing or withdrawing from the conflict, carry greater risks than maintaining the blockade.
The Iranian government is expected to adopt a firm stance toward such developments, particularly given the damage inflicted on Iran’s economy by the blockade affecting its ports.
Amid discussions of potential measures against Tehran, while the negotiation track remains stalled, two sources within the U.S. administration said that the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is preparing to return to the United States after a mission exceeding 300 days, during which it took part in operations related to the conflict with Iran, in addition to other major missions.
According to the two sources, who requested anonymity, the carrier will leave the Middle East in the coming days for its base in Virginia, where it is expected to arrive by mid-May.
In the same context, the officials noted that the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush in the region last week raised the number of U.S. carriers deployed there to three, a level not seen since 2003, amid what is described as a fragile truce in the confrontation with Iran.
They also pointed out that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has maintained its presence in the region since last January, alongside escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
