Washington:
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which is actively conducting a naval blockade of Iranian ports, has briefed President Donald Trump on its plan for potential military action in Iran. The 45-minute briefing, which the Chairperson of the Joint Chiefs also attended, coincides with reports that claimed the United States recently shipped over 6,000 tonnes of munitions and materiel to Israel, fuelling speculation about the possibility that US President Donald Trump might be planning to resume major combat operations in Iran to end the stalemate.
Citing the Israeli Defence Ministry, reports by The Israel Times and The Jerusalem Post claimed that two cargo ships and several planes carrying 6,500 tonnes (6,500,000 kilograms)Â of air and ground munitions, military trucks, Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), and additional military equipment from the United States arrived in Israel this week.
The Israeli ministry’s Defence Procurement Directorate reportedly led the US operation in coordination with its International Shipping Division, its mission to the US, and the IDF Planning Directorate.
Israel has received some 115,600 tonnes of military items since the start of the Iran war. “Since the launch of Operation Roaring Lion, Israel has received more than 115,600 tonnes of military equipment in 403 airlifts and 10 sealifts,’ the ministry said in a statement.
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CENTCOM Briefing
According to an Axios report, CENTCOM has prepared a new plan for a military action against Iran. Sources told the American publication 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.
Another plan that CENTCOM shared 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.
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The third option is a special forces operation to secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. 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.
Per the Axios report, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, attended 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.
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Iran’s Concerns
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also warned that the US might attack Tehran again during negotiations, saying that trust in Washington has been âcompletely destroyed.â
In a phone call with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, Pezeshkian said, “Efforts to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy with Iran’s responsibility have always been on the agenda.”
“But during the negotiations, the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel) attacked Iran twice, and there is a possibility of such actions being repeated, which has led to Iran’s complete distrust of the United States,” Pezeshkian said in his comments carried by the state-run Press TV.