US Central Command asked military analysts to develop “creative and unconventional” ways to pressure Iran as US President Donald Trump’s administration reassessed its strategy in the ongoing conflict with Tehran, CNN reported on Monday.
“We are looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran,” an officer in CENTCOM’s intelligence branch wrote in an email sent Wednesday to a broad group of military analysts, according to a source familiar with the message.
A second source said that a senior US military officer had circulated the request last week. Military officials described the crowdsourcing-style email as unusual, while the second source said CENTCOM was reviewing its approach and considering a wide range of alternatives.
“US Central Command has a long history of thinking and working in innovative ways,” Captain Timothy Hawkins, a spokesperson for CENTCOM, said in a statement. “Admiral [Brad] Cooper, in particular, reaches out to members of our great team, regardless of rank, to achieve the highest levels of operational performance possible.”
The request illustrated the challenge facing Trump as he considers three difficult paths: expanding the air campaign, committing US troops to riskier operations on the ground, or reaching an agreement that falls short of some of his original war objectives.
Trump weighs military escalation, renewed diplomacy
Trump threatened renewed strikes against Iran after the email was sent but called off a planned attack over the weekend. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was among the regional leaders who contacted the president and urged him to de-escalate, according to CNN.
Trump said on Sunday that the US and Iran were expected to resume talks concerning the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear program on Monday.
The diplomatic track follows weeks of US airstrikes intended to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and compel Tehran to return to negotiations. US intelligence assessments have nevertheless concluded that the bombing campaign is unlikely, by itself, to change Iran’s negotiating position, CNN previously reported.
One option under consideration would significantly increase the scale of the air campaign. US officials said CENTCOM had developed a plan for one or two weeks of heavy bombardment intended to destroy Iran’s remaining missile capabilities.
Trump has not approved the plan. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine has reportedly raised concerns about dwindling US supplies of air-defense interceptors, while other officials have warned that strikes on bridges, desalination facilities and other infrastructure could cause high civilian casualties.
Caine has publicly acknowledged that an air campaign cannot necessarily meet all of the administration’s stated goals.
“Air power has its limits,” he told lawmakers in July.
Deeply buried nuclear sites raise prospect of ground operation
The same limitation applies to Iran’s remaining nuclear infrastructure. Two sources familiar with military planning said preparations had been made for possible strikes against Pickaxe Mountain and other facilities believed to contain nuclear material or equipment.
The underground sites may be too deeply buried to be destroyed with conventional US bombs and missiles, according to the sources. Fully eliminating them could therefore require American troops to enter Iran, an option carrying far greater military and political risks.
Trump has repeatedly threatened ground operations, including the possible seizure of the strategic Kharg Island or efforts to remove Iran’s highly enriched uranium. Such action would conflict with his 2024 campaign promise not to send Americans to fight in prolonged foreign wars.
It would also expose US personnel to additional danger. Eighteen American service members have been killed in the conflict, while hundreds more have been wounded.
A more limited possibility discussed by Trump would involve strikes resembling a “fireworks” display, according to a source familiar with the planning. The operation could target sites previously attacked, or similar locations, and offer the president a symbolic military victory without destroying Iran’s nuclear program.
Such an attack would not necessarily address Iranian claims over the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a central point of contention between Washington and Tehran.
“At the end of the day, POTUS will want a deal, so he’ll continually look for ways to get tough and get out of this,” one source familiar with the discussions said.
“You need creative minds at times, especially if you’re running out of conventional options.”
Continued strikes risk prolonging conflict
The third choice would be to continue the current pattern of limited strikes and Iranian retaliation while pursuing negotiations. That approach would avoid the immediate risks of a ground invasion but could prolong threats to US personnel and commercial shipping.
“I think we just want to win,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Friday when asked how the war would end. “We’ll be hitting them very hard, and you know, at some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’”