Washington:
Amid a stalemate in talks with Iran, US President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to resume bombing Iranian targets even as the two nations have agreed to an ‘indefinite’ ceasefire. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has prepared a new plan for a military action against Iran, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing two anonymous sources.
According to the report, Trump will be briefed on the new plans from CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper on Thursday.
The timing of the briefing indicates that the American commander-in-chief might be seriously considering resuming major combat operations against Iran, either to try to “break the logjam” in peace talks or to “deliver a final blow” before ending the war.
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What’s CENTCOM’s Plan?
Sources told Axios that one plan CENTCOM is considering is launching a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iran, likely including infrastructure targets, in hopes that it will push the Islamic regime in Tehran to the negotiation table. US forces are hoping that with bombs raining, the Islamic Republic would likely show more flexibility on the nuclear issue while negotiating peace terms.
Trump has previously threatened to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure. However, the international law experts have pointed out that such strikes may amount to war crimes. Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war, attacks on sites considered essential for civilians are prohibited.
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Another plan that CENTCOM is expected to share with Trump is focused on taking over part of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen it to commercial shipping. But such an operation may involve ground forces, according to the report.
Trump reportedly sees the US blockade of Iranian ports as his primary source of leverage against Tehran, but sources said he might consider military action if Iran still won’t cave.
The Iran war, which remains unpopular in the US, has shaken markets and raised oil prices. The war has brought traffic through the strait, a chokepoint for about 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, close to a standstill.
The third option that might come up in the briefing is a special forces operation to secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Axios said.
Trump has cited Iran’s nuclear programme as an imminent threat and said it was one of the main reasons behind starting a war against Tehran’s Islamic regime, which has now stretched for over 60 days. Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons but says it has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
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Why The Move Matters
Per the Axios report, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, is also expected to attend CENTCOM’s meeting with Trump.
Cooper also gave a similar briefing to Trump two days before the US and Israeli forces attacked Iran on February 28. Iran had responded with its own strikes on Israel and the Gulf states with US bases, plunging the Middle East and the rest of the world into severe economic distress.
Reports have claimed that the briefing contributed to Trump’s decision to go to war. However, Trump himself told Axios that he sees the naval blockade on Iran as “somewhat more effective than the bombing”.