Pentagon to brief Trump on new Iran options; military force back on the table

• Pentagon is set to brief Trump today on a range of new military options aimed at ending the deadlock with Iran.
• Secretary Hegseth and the Joint Chiefs will be joining the briefing after congressional hearing

US military commanders are scheduled to provide US President Donald Trump with a comprehensive briefing today on potential military actions against Iran.

According to Reuters citing US officials. The meeting, which follows a tense hearing on Capitol Hill, signals a potential shift from the current "frozen conflict" toward a more aggressive phase of the administration’s "Maximum Pressure" campaign.

The briefing will be led by the Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, along with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.

From Congress to the Situation Room

In a notable scheduling move, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and General Caine will join the President immediately following Hegseth’s testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.

Read more: US Defense Secretary defends $1.5 trillion budget, Congress hearing

Sources indicate that the afternoon briefing is designed to answer those concerns by presenting Trump with a menu of "escalatory but precise" military maneuvers.

Key options under consideration

According to reports from Reuters, the military leadership has prepared several distinct plans to break the current diplomatic stalemate:

Infrastructure Strikes: A "short and powerful" wave of air and missile strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure and energy assets to increase the economic cost of non-compliance.
Strait of Hormuz Intervention: A plan focused on taking control of specific parts of the Strait of Hormuz to ensure it remains open to commercial shipping, an operation that could involve US ground forces.
Special Operations: High-risk missions by special forces aimed at securing or neutralizing Iran’s remaining stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.

Forcing the Hand of Diplomacy

The primary objective of these options is not necessarily to launch an all-out war, but to "force Iran to negotiate" on American terms.

The Trump administration has maintained that while the current naval blockade is effective, it may not be enough to secure the total dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program.

"The President is looking for ways to make Tehran more flexible at the table," one official noted to Reuters. "If the blockade doesn't move them, the next phase will."

Reactivating the ‘Hard Way’

The meeting comes amid reports that President Trump is considering the "reactivation" of military options that were temporarily shelved during the April ceasefire.

While the ceasefire was recently extended, the lack of progress in the "Islamabad Peace Talks" has reportedly thinned the President’s patience.

Read more: Trump says negotiations to end war with Iran are happening “telephonically”

As the administration prepares to deploy the Army’s "Dark Eagle" hypersonic missile system to the region, today's briefing will likely determine whether the US continues its current path of containment or pivots toward a new, more direct military confrontation.