President Donald Trump is reportedly scheduled to review potential military strategies for Iran on Thursday, signaling a possible return to significant combat operations.
Trump would be briefed by CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper on new strategies for potential military action in Iran, reported Axios on Thursday. The briefing suggests Trump is weighing the option of restarting large-scale military operations, either to force progress in stalled negotiations or to secure a decisive advantage before concluding the conflict.
CENTCOM is reportedly considering a “short and powerful” strike campaign on Iran targeting infrastructure to break the stalemate in negotiations and push Tehran back to the nuclear bargaining table.
The plan involves potentially seizing part of the Strait of Hormuz to restore commercial shipping, possibly using ground forces, while also considering a special forces mission to secure Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile, stated Axios.
White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
War Cost Hits $25 Billion; Damage Adds Strain
On Wednesday, a Pentagon official said the U.S. war in Iran has cost about $25 billion so far, largely for munitions, though the estimate may not include infrastructure repairs. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the spending as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Previous reports indicated that Iranian strikes on multiple U.S. bases across the Gulf reportedly caused up to $5 billion in damage, hitting sites in Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Bahrain, including significant damage to the Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters, prompting scrutiny in Washington over the true costs of the conflict.
Trump Weighs Force As Tensions Rise
This development comes in the wake of Trump’s frustration over Iran’s inability to finalize a deal. The president emphasized the need for Iran to “get smart soon,” expressing his dissatisfaction with the stalled negotiations.
Trump has also stated that he would maintain the U.S. naval blockade on Iran until Tehran agrees to a nuclear deal, rejecting an Iranian proposal first to reopen the Strait of Hormuz before nuclear talks resume. Trump described the blockade as “somewhat more effective than the bombing,” and claimed that Iran’s oil storage and pipelines “are getting close to exploding.”
However, sources told Axios that the President is open to using military force if the blockade fails. At the same time, U.S. officials also anticipate potential Iranian retaliation against American forces in the region.
Meanwhile, at the time of writing, Brent crude oil prices surged past $123.99 per barrel, while average gas prices in the U.S. stood at $4.229 per gallon, as per AAA.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ Phil Mistry
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