Trump weighs new Iran strikes as top US general rushes to White House

The top US military commander in the Middle East briefed President Donald Trump on military options for Iran at the White House on Thursday, as Washington weighs the possibility of resuming major combat operations, according to US officials and people familiar with the meeting.

Admiral Brad Cooper, who heads US Central Command (CENTCOM), was joined by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine. The meeting also included other cabinet members and covered issues including the continuing US blockade, the sources said.

The gathering followed a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, where the military officers met Vice-President JD Vance, according to one person familiar with the discussions.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Trump administration officials have told Arab Gulf states to prepare for a possible short but intense military campaign against Iran after the US midterm elections.

Vance has also reached out to one of Iran's most powerful hardliners in an effort to revive peace negotiations, the newspaper reported.

Last week, Trump suggested the US could resume military action if Tehran failed to reach an agreement.

"We may do another little Epic Fury," he said at a rally, referring to the US and Israeli bombing campaign against Iran in the spring. "Or they'll agree."

Cooper rarely briefs Trump in person, raising the possibility that Washington is moving closer to significant military operations. The admiral last met the president in July, when they held discussions alongside Hegseth and Caine aboard Air Force One in Delaware.

The White House meetings come amid growing concern among some US lawmakers that Trump could soon renew hostilities with Tehran.

Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who said he had previously been briefed on some of the classified military planning, described the plans as "insane".

"It will lead to devastating escalation and the likely destruction of our commitment to the rule of law," Murphy said at an event hosted by the Middle East Institute on Wednesday.

Iran Threatens Retaliation

Iran has threatened publicly and through private diplomatic communications to strike a broad range of US and Gulf state targets in the region if Washington launches another attack, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Tehran has also resumed producing ballistic missiles using stockpiled components at underground facilities and stepped up efforts to target US personnel in the Middle East, the newspaper reported.

The Pentagon has spent recent weeks preparing for a possible new bombing campaign, sending additional air defence systems, munitions and supplies to the region. It has also moved some troops away from bases considered vulnerable to potential Iranian attacks, according to previous reporting by the newspaper.

The US Army is also moving an additional Patriot missile defence battery to Israel to strengthen its air defences, amid concerns about a shortage of interceptors that Washington has been working to replenish.

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