Trump holds Situation Room meeting to weigh broader Iran offensive: Report

US President Donald Trump held a meeting in the Situation Room on Tuesday to discuss plans for a major military offensive against Iran that would be broader than the current campaign around the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported, citing three sources familiar with the discussions.

According to the report, the talks focused on potential strikes against strategic targets inside Iran as the Trump administration considers escalating military pressure to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept US demands over its nuclear program.

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The meeting came as the US military carried out strikes for a fourth consecutive day in areas around the strait and along Iran’s southern coast.

US officials told Axios that the strikes had primarily targeted air defense and radar systems, anti-ship missile positions and drone launch sites, with the aim of significantly reducing Iran’s ability to attack vessels in the strait.

Iran, meanwhile, continued launching missiles and drones toward US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, according to the report.

A US naval blockade of Iranian ports also went into effect on Tuesday afternoon.

US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Iran had deliberately targeted civilians across the region over the previous week, attacking seven commercial vessels and leaving nearly a dozen crew members dead, missing or injured.

Despite the attacks, US officials told Axios that the military had coordinated the passage of around 300 ships through the strait over the past week.

Trump was reportedly joined in the Situation Room by senior members of his national security team, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, according to the sources cited by Axios.

The sources said discussions centered on plans for potentially devastating strikes against strategic targets inside Iran, in addition to the ongoing operations around the strait.

The White House declined to comment to Axios.

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