Trump to Review Updated Military Options on Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to receive briefings from Pentagon officials on updated military options regarding Iran on Thursday, as he exerts pressure on Tehran to reach an agreement, CNN reports, citing a source familiar with the matter.

According to the network, Trump is regularly informed about military plans, and there is little to indicate that his previous reluctance to resume U.S. airstrikes has diminished. However, the briefing is seen as a sign that Trump is keeping his options open as negotiations to halt hostilities progress slowly.

It is expected that the briefing will include U.S. Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, along with other senior military officials.

“Trump's current strategy aims to inflict as much economic damage on Iran as possible, hoping that the country will concede to demands for limitations on its nuclear program,” CNN reports.

In recent days, he has told his senior advisers that he wants to continue the maritime blockade of Iranian ports by the U.S., sources familiar with the negotiations have revealed, and his team has begun laying the groundwork for such an extension, including a longer-term closure of the Strait of Hormuz.