A senior officer at the overseeing President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran sent an email last week seeking “creative and unconventional” ways to “punish” Iran, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
“We are looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran,” an officer in the US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) intelligence branch wrote in a message sent on Wednesday to a broad group of military analysts, according to a source familiar with the message, the publication said.
The unusual email, which sought suggestions from across the organisation, highlights the limited and increasingly difficult options available to Trump as he tries to force Iran into a deal on US terms.
According to CNN, is reviewing all possible approaches and believes it needs to rethink its current strategy.
“US Central Command has a long history of thinking and working in innovative ways,” CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Timothy Hawkins said in a statement.
“Admiral Cooper, in particular, reaches out to members of our great team, regardless of rank, to achieve the highest levels of operational performance possible.”
Trump paused fresh strikes after regional intervention
The email was sent before Trump threatened fresh strikes on Iran but later decided against them over the weekend after regional leaders, including Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, urged him to de-escalate the conflict.
For weeks, the US has carried out air strikes aimed at weakening Iran’s ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and pushing Tehran back to the negotiating table. However, there has been no sign of a breakthrough in talks.
US weighs fresh attacks on nuclear sites
Trump has also been considering expanding the military campaign, including launching fresh strikes on Iran’s remaining nuclear facilities, which he previously claimed had been “obliterated” during attacks last summer.
The US military has been preparing possible strikes on Pickaxe Mountain and other Iranian sites believed to house nuclear material or equipment, CNN reported, citing sources.
However, the sources said even the US military’s most powerful conventional weapons are unlikely to destroy the deeply buried facilities. They said any attempt to eliminate them completely would probably require ground troops — a major escalation that Trump has so far been unwilling to approve.
The conflict has already claimed the lives of 18 US service members.
Another source told CNN that Trump has discussed launching strikes similar to a “fireworks” display, targeting the same or similar sites attacked last year. The aim would be to claim a symbolic victory and potentially end US involvement in the conflict without fully achieving one of his key goals of eliminating Iran’s nuclear programme.
Even then, officials believe such strikes would not resolve the central issue of the conflict — Iran’s claims over the Strait of Hormuz.
