Trump weighs limited strikes against Iran, Axios reports

• Trump weighs periodic US strikes on Iran’s rebuilding of radar and anti-ship missile systems.
• Hegseth and Gen. Caine back the strategy to protect ships and allied aircraft.
• Iran’s attack on US bases could push Trump to approve the campaign.
• Iran’s missile launch at a US F-35 raises concerns over rebuilt air defenses.

US President Donald Trump and senior White House advisers are considering a military strategy that would launch limited, recurring strikes against Iranian installations in the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported on Monday, citing three US officials.

Developed over the past week by US Central Command (CENTCOM), the operational plan aims to systematically degrade Iran’s efforts to rebuild its radar systems, air defense networks, and anti-ship missile capabilities.

"The idea behind the plan is to reduce the risk of Iranian attacks on oil tankers, US Navy ships and Air Force aircraft — to 'mow the lawn,' as this person put it," a US official told Axios.

Rising threats to maritime traffic

Over the past two months, the US military has gradually exerted control over the Strait of Hormuz, executing low-key operations to clear sea mines and guide commercial shipping safely through the bottleneck.

This presence significantly reduced Iranian leverage over global oil transit while allowing tanker traffic to resume.

However, US officials expressed growing concern to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine that Tehran was actively seeking to rebuild its defensive and offensive infrastructure along the narrow shipping lane.

Tensions mounted further when an Iranian anti-aircraft battery fired a surface-to-air missile toward a US F-35 fighter jet providing aerial coverage to commercial tankers.

While the missile failed to threaten the aircraft, military planners viewed the launch as a clear signal that Iran was attempting to reassert military capability over the strait.

CENTCOM informed defense leadership and the White House that periodic strikes would be necessary to ensure the safe daily passage of dozens of oil tankers navigating out of the Persian Gulf.

White House authorization

Although Defense Secretary Hegseth formally backed the CENTCOM proposal and forwarded it to the White House several days ago, senior officials initially leaned against approving the strikes out of concern that doing so could provoke a broader confrontation with Iran.

However, the calculus appears to have shifted following a dramatic overnight escalation.

After US forces struck Revolutionary Guard troops on Larak Island to neutralize active rocket-propelled minelaying operations, Tehran retaliated by firing a barrage of ballistic missiles at American facilities in the Middle East.

Following the missile trade, US President Trump signaled an aggressive posture, confirming to Fox News that the United States intends to respond decisively to Iranian strikes and "hit them hard."