Summary: Unidentified sources say President Donald Trump will receive a briefing on Thursday from U.S. Central Command leader Brad Cooper on a set of new military options related to Iran. The options include a plan for a concentrated series of strikes, a proposal to secure part of the Strait of Hormuz to restore commercial shipping, and a potential special forces mission to seize stocks of highly enriched uranium. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, is also expected to attend the briefing. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
According to unidentified sources, the briefing scheduled for Thursday will be led by Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command. Those same sources say CENTCOM has drawn up a plan characterized as "short and powerful" that would likely target infrastructure within Iran. The stated aim of such an option would be to increase Iran's flexibility at the negotiating table on nuclear matters, the sources added.
In addition to the strike-focused plan, sources say another option to be presented involves taking control of part of the Strait of Hormuz. That course of action is described as intended to reopen the waterway to commercial shipping and could involve ground forces, according to the reporting attributed to those sources.
Also on the list of potential operations is a special forces mission aimed at securing Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The inclusion of that option suggests planners are considering direct actions focused on nuclear materials, though operational details and timelines were not provided by the sources.
Unidentified sources further indicate that General Dan Caine, the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is expected to attend the briefing on Thursday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Because the information comes from sources not publicly named and the White House has not commented, key details about authorization, timing, and execution remain unclear. The options described range from targeted strikes to operations involving ground forces and special operations personnel.