WASHINGTON, April 30 - Senior U.S. military officials, including Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command, are set to inform President Donald Trump later today about possible military actions against Iran, a...
WASHINGTON, April 30 - Senior U.S. military officials, including Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command, are set to inform President Donald Trump later today about possible military actions against Iran, according to a U.S. official.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will also be part of the briefing, the official added.
The official did not reveal the specific options that will be discussed, but mentioned that the focus will be on steps needed to encourage Iran to negotiate and resolve the ongoing conflict.
Both U.S. Central Command and the White House have not commented on this matter.
Hegseth and Caine are scheduled to testify before the Senate at 11 a.m. (1500 GMT), with most questions expected to revolve around the conflict that began on February 28 involving the U.S. and Israel. The White House briefing is anticipated to occur after this Senate hearing.
Axios reported that Central Command has developed a plan for a "short and powerful" series of strikes on Iran, targeting infrastructure as well as potentially taking control of part of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen it for commercial shipping.
These military options have been part of U.S. planning for some time, and Axios did not suggest any significant changes to this planning.
The ongoing conflict with Iran is generally unpopular in the U.S. and has caused market instability and increased oil prices. The situation has also severely affected traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial point for about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.