A war room above the runway: this is where Trump decided to resume strikes against Iran

As the coffins of four American soldiers arrived from the Middle East, the decision between war and peace with Iran was being made just a few meters away.

On board the presidential aircraft parked in the state of Delaware, U.S. President Donald Trump held a meeting with his top military commanders to discuss possible responses to Iran, including a large-scale air campaign that could last for two weeks.

The meeting, which took place after the transfer ceremony for the remains of four American soldiers killed in the conflict with Iran, evolved into a decisive discussion over the nature of Washington’s response to Tehran, according to the newspaper.

Although Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), had maintained a lower profile in White House meetings than Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, the officer overseeing military operations in the Middle East from CENTCOM headquarters in Florida arrived with a punitive strategy involving an intensive air campaign aimed at crippling Iran’s missile capabilities.

In this regard, The Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources, reported that Cooper believed limited strikes were no longer sufficient to deter Tehran, given Iran’s continued threats against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and its attacks on American forces in the region.

Cooper argued that, if the United States wanted its military action to be effective, it needed to significantly intensify its air operations.

He maintains that this « large-scale » approach, one of several options developed under his direction, would reduce the United States’ need for defensive munitions because Iran’s ability to launch attacks would be substantially weakened.

The options under consideration included:

• approving Cooper’s proposal for an intensive air campaign lasting between ten and fourteen days and designed to cripple Iran’s missile capabilities;
• opting for a limited military strike in the hope of pursuing diplomatic efforts afterward.

Cooper’s command resumes strikes

On Thursday, the U.S. military resumed strikes against positions belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, five days after suspending its operations.

CENTCOM stated that the strikes constituted a « strong response » to the Iranian missile attacks carried out on Tuesday against American forces in Jordan.

Dozens of targets linked to the Revolutionary Guard were hit, including command centers, missile facilities, and drone installations.

It was not immediately clear whether the prolonged air campaign would continue in the coming days and weeks.

A senior U.S. administration official told the newspaper that Trump was « in an escalatory mood » but was still considering « the depth and scope of this response ».