CNN: US considers escalation if Iran ceasefire collapses

US military officials are preparing new strike options targeting Iran’s capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz if the current ceasefire collapses, according to sources familiar with the planning, cited by CNN.

The proposed plans emphasise “dynamic targeting” of Iranian assets in the Strait of Hormuz, the southern Arabian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman. Potential targets include fast attack boats, minelaying vessels, and other asymmetric systems Tehran has used to effectively shut down key shipping lanes and exert pressure on the US.

The disruption of maritime traffic has had significant global economic consequences and threatens President Donald Trump’s efforts to curb inflation. The closure has persisted despite a ceasefire that paused US strikes launched on April 7.

While earlier US operations focused on deeper targets inside Iran, the new approach would concentrate more heavily on strategic waterways. However, sources caution that strikes alone are unlikely to quickly reopen the strait, given that many of Iran’s coastal defense missiles and small-boat capabilities remain intact.

“Unless you can unequivocally prove that 100% of Iran’s military capability is destroyed… it will come down to how badly is [Trump] willing to accept the risk and start pushing ships through the strait,” one source said.

Additional options under consideration include strikes on dual-use infrastructure such as energy facilities—an escalation some officials warn could be controversial—as well as targeting specific Iranian military leaders seen as obstructing negotiations.

The Pentagon declined to comment on specific plans, stating that “all options remain on the table.”

US intelligence assessments indicate that roughly half of Iran’s missile launchers and thousands of drones survived earlier strikes, with some assets relocated during the ceasefire. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Iran has repositioned capabilities and warned they could be targeted if diplomacy fails.

Trump has signaled a preference for a diplomatic resolution but has made clear the ceasefire is not indefinite. He has also expressed frustration over Iran’s continued closure of the strait, which US officials acknowledge Washington failed to prevent early in the conflict.

The US has deployed significant naval forces to the region, including 19 ships in the Middle East and seven in the Indian Ocean, while enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports and intercepting vessels linked to Iranian oil shipments.

By Tamilla Hasanova