On Thursday, President Trump is expected to hear from Pentagon officials about updated military options for Iran. According to the report, Trump is regularly updated on military plans, and there has been no sign that his previous hesitation about resuming the US bombing campaign is waning.
Still, the briefing is a sign that Trump is keeping his options open even as talks to end the war are moving too slowly.
According to the report, US Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Kane as well as other senior military officials were expected to attend the briefing.
Trump’s current strategy is designed to inflict as much economic damage as possible on Iran in the hope that the country will bow to his demands to curb its nuclear program.
Sources familiar with the talks said he has told his top advisers in recent days that he wants the US naval blockade of Iranian ports to continue, and his team has begun laying the groundwork for such an extension, including a longer-term closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
On Wednesday, when reporters asked the President how long the blockade would continue, he said, “This blockade is a great step.” He added, “Now they have to give up, that’s all they have to do. Just say, ‘We give up.'”
Sources familiar with the matter said that while on one hand the Pentagon is continuing to prepare for the situation should the President decide to resume the bombing campaign, on the other hand Trump has long indicated internally that he would prefer to make a deal with the Iranians and avoid any further attacks.