Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the US Central Command, will hold a special briefing for US President Donald Trump on April 30 on new potential scenarios for resuming military action against Iran, Axios reported, citing its own sources.
“This briefing shows that Trump is seriously considering the resumption of large-scale combat operations either to break the current deadlock in talks or to deliver a final blow before the end of the war“, the publication noted.
Sources to Axios indicate that the Pentagon has prepared a plan to launch a “short and powerful“ wave of strikes against Iran in the hope of breaking the impasse in the dialogue. According to the media, after a series of attacks, the US hopes to put pressure on the Iranian leadership to “return to the negotiating table and show greater flexibility“.
Another scenario for the renewal of military action, which will be presented to the president, involves “seizing part of the Strait of Hormuz“ in order to open the waterway to commercial shipping.
“Such an operation could involve the use of ground forces“, Axios emphasized. Another option is the deployment of special forces to seize the Islamic Republic's stocks of highly enriched nuclear fuel.
According to the portal's sources, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Kaine, will also attend the president's briefing.