President Trump is scheduled to receive a classified briefing Thursday on military alternatives for Iran, including plans for strikes on infrastructure and potential operations to control shipping routes, according to multiple sources familiar with the session.
The meeting will be led by CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, with Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine also attending. The briefing reflects growing consideration within Trump's team about whether military pressure could accelerate stalled negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.
Military planners have developed what they describe as a "short and powerful" strike campaign targeting Iranian infrastructure. The theory behind this approach centers on using such action to push Iran back to the negotiating table with greater flexibility on nuclear issues, according to three sources with knowledge of the plans.
A second major option involves military operations to seize control of portions of the Strait of Hormuz and restore commercial shipping through the waterway. This scenario could involve ground forces alongside naval assets, one source said.
A third possibility being considered involves special forces operations to secure Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, though this option has been discussed in previous administrations as well.
Trump has signaled his current preference for maintaining a naval blockade on Iran, telling reporters Wednesday that he views it as "somewhat more effective than the bombing." Two sources say Trump sees the blockade as his strongest leverage point in any negotiation, though he remains willing to authorize military strikes if Iranian leadership refuses to make concessions.
Military officials are also preparing contingency planning for the possibility that Iran retaliates against U.S. forces in the region in response to the blockade itself, creating a potential cycle of escalation.
This briefing mirrors a session Cooper conducted on February 26, two days before the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran. One Trump associate indicated that earlier briefing was influential in the president's decision to pursue that campaign.
The White House declined to comment on the scheduled briefing or its agenda.
Author James Rodriguez: "The timing and substance of this briefing suggest Trump is genuinely wrestling with whether sanctions and blockades have hit their ceiling, or if military action remains necessary to force Iran's hand."
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