Key Takeaways

• Critical military briefing: Trump is set to receive a Pentagon briefing Thursday on potential renewed military action against Iran, signaling serious consideration of breaking the two-week deadlock.
• Wave of strikes on the table: CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper will present plans for attacks likely including Iranian infrastructure targets.
• Ceasefire at risk: Renewed strikes would effectively end the indefinite U.S.-Iran ceasefire, with peace talks having largely collapsed.
• Strategic objectives: Plans aim to either pressure Iran back to negotiations with greater flexibility on nuclear issues, or to deliver a decisive blow to end the war.
• Bolder options weighed: Briefing also includes a special forces operation to secure Iran’s uranium stockpile and a potential ground operation to seize part of the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iran offer rejected: Tehran’s recent proposal to reopen Hormuz while shelving nuclear talks was poorly received by Trump.
• International coalition push: The Trump administration is rallying allies for a “Maritime Freedom Construct” to restore Hormuz shipping, per a WSJ-reported State Department cable.
• Three months of disruption: Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, while the U.S. naval blockade remains firmly in place.

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to receive a briefing on potential further military action in Iran on Thursday, Axios reported late Wednesday, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.

The briefing indicates that Trump is seriously weighing the resumption of major military operations against Iran in a bid to break a deadlock with Tehran that has stretched over the past two weeks, according to the Axios report.

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper is set to walk Trump through a range of potential options — among them plans for a wave of strikes on Iran, likely including infrastructure targets, designed to shatter the impasse.

Such a move would effectively end the indefinite ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, with attempts at peace negotiations having largely collapsed over recent weeks.

Strikes as Leverage — Or a Knockout Blow

The plans for renewed strikes are intended either to push Iran back toward a deal with more accommodating terms, or to land a decisive blow before drawing the war to a close, Axios said.

The hope, the report indicated, is for Iran to return to the negotiating table with greater flexibility on its nuclear issues. This follows Iran’s recent proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war while sidelining discussions about its nuclear program — an offer that was poorly received by Trump, with Iran’s nuclear activities remaining a major point of contention.

Other options Trump will be briefed on include a special forces operation to secure Iran’s uranium stockpile, as well as a plan to seize part of the Strait of Hormuz by force and reopen it to commercial shipping, the Axios report added. Both operations could potentially involve ground forces.

The U.S. has largely maintained its naval blockade against Iran, with Trump having framed the action as a major source of pressure on Tehran to accept a deal.

However, Iran has consistently demanded that the blockade be lifted before any further peace talks can take place. The country has also effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz for the three months since the war began.

Trump Administration Seeks International Help to Reopen Hormuz — WSJ

The Trump administration is working to assemble a new international coalition aimed at restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with traffic through the vital waterway remaining stalled, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Citing an internal State Department cable, the report indicated that U.S. diplomats have been instructed to lobby foreign governments to join a proposed “Maritime Freedom Construct,” designed to enable safe navigation and coordinate responses to ongoing disruptions.

The initiative would encompass information-sharing, diplomatic coordination, and the enforcement of sanctions, according to the cable, and could potentially include both diplomatic and military participation.

The push comes as tensions with Iran continue to choke shipping, with Tehran accused of targeting vessels while the U.S. maintains its sweeping blockade against ships linked to Iranian ports.

The Hormuz chokepoint has emerged as a central sticking point in the stalled U.S.-Iran talks, fueling alarm over global energy supplies and oil prices.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the push signals Washington’s desire to draw allies more directly into the effort, even as Trump has previously criticized partners — particularly in Europe — for not doing enough to help secure the strategic waterway.