Illustrative image. (U.S. Central Command)
Adm. Brad Cooper, the United States military’s top commander in the Middle East, briefed President Donald Trump on military options for Iran at the White House on October 29, as Washington weighs resuming major combat operations against Tehran, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine attended the meeting with Cooper, along with other Cabinet members.
The meeting also covered additional topics, according to U.S. officials and people with direct knowledge cited by the newspaper.
The Journal did not disclose the specific military options Cooper presented or report that Trump had made a decision to resume strikes.
The briefing comes amid preparations for a possible renewed U.S. military campaign. A recent report by The Jewish Chronicle said the U.S. was moving a Patriot air defense battery from Texas to the Middle East, while American forces had also been moved away from bases considered vulnerable to Iranian attacks and ammunition stocks replenished. Trump has not made a final decision on further strikes, the report said.
Diplomatic contacts continued on October 29 alongside the military preparations. Iranian media reported that Tehran had received a letter from Vice President JD Vance addressed to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, but had not yet responded.
Trump said Vance’s outreach concerned helping Iran obtain medical supplies, after media reports described the communication as an effort to revive peace negotiations.
The Wall Street Journal had reported that the letter was sent at Trump’s direction, although the president said he had not directed Vance to contact Tehran to restart talks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remained in contact with mediators over proposals to implement its seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in less than a week. The plan is part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the conflict and restore shipping through the strategic waterway.
Military tensions around the strait also featured in Thursday’s developments. Iran said three oil tankers had struck mines and caught fire while attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz through an unauthorized route over the previous 24 hours.
The U.S. military separately rejected Iran’s assertion that its forces had captured an American MQM-170 Outlaw reconnaissance drone near the strait. U.S. Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins called the report false, according to the Associated Press.
With U.S. forces preparing for renewed operations and Trump receiving military options for Iran, a return to war appears increasingly likely. Recent reports have pointed to the period immediately after the November 3 U.S. midterm elections as a possible window for renewed American strikes on the Islamic Republic, with Israel taking part.
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hey trump does the 5000 dollar check for the repubs winning come before or after the 5000 dollar tariff check ?
it will only take 2-3 nukes to end iran forever…heheheh
it will take only 1 nuke to disinfect occupied palestine of the zio presence. heheheh