Pentagon presents Iran military plans to Trump

Brad Cooper, the US Navy admiral overseeing American forces in the Middle East as head of U.S. Central Command, briefed President Donald Trump on February 26 about potential military options involving Iran, according to a person close to the president, quoted by foreign media.

Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president’s senior military adviser, also attended the meeting, a second source familiar with the discussion said.

The high-level briefing took place the same day US and Iranian officials conducted indirect negotiations in Geneva, focused on Iran’s nuclear activities and ballistic missile program. No agreement was announced following the talks, although Iran’s foreign minister said progress had been achieved and confirmed that “technical talks” would resume next week in Vienna, Austria.

Meanwhile, several Republican figures and some officials within Trump’s circle have privately argued in recent days that Israel should take the lead in carrying out potential strikes on Iran rather than the United States initiating military action, according to two people familiar with internal discussions. It remained unclear as of Thursday whether Trump supports such an approach, though he is reportedly growing increasingly frustrated with Tehran’s refusal to accept his demands to halt uranium enrichment and limit its missile program. Politico earlier reported that senior advisers and Republican allies were promoting the idea of Israel leading any initial attack.

Sources also said a joint US-Israeli military operation remains a possibility. The United States has already deployed a significant number of naval vessels and fighter aircraft to the region, placing them within operational range of Iran.

Defence officials assess that any Israeli strike would almost certainly prompt Iranian retaliation. Analysts note that in such a scenario, Trump could frame subsequent US involvement as consistent with the longstanding American policy of defending Israel.

Earlier in the week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe provided a classified briefing on Iran to a small group of senior lawmakers, though details of the session were not disclosed.

According to sources, an initial wave of strikes led by Israel could serve not only as leverage in ongoing diplomacy but also as a means of degrading Iran’s air defence systems ahead of a broader and potentially prolonged military campaign, should Trump decide to pursue efforts aimed at toppling the Iranian government. Analysts caution that such an operation could last weeks, carry substantial risks, and offer no guarantee that a successor government would align more closely with US interests.

One major concern among planners is the safety of roughly 35,000 to 40,000 US troops stationed across the region, who could become targets in the event of escalation.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday while travelling in St. Kitts, Rubio said Iran is attempting to rebuild elements of its nuclear program after US strikes last June. “You can see them always trying to rebuild elements of it. They're not enriching right now, but they're trying to get to the point where they ultimately can,” he said.

Rubio also warned that Iran remains on a “pathway” toward developing ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.

By Tamilla Hasanova