US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, who oversees troops in the Middle East as head of US Central Command, briefed US President Donald Trump on potential military options regarding Iran on Thursday, citing a person close to the president, ABC News reports, writes UNN.
Details
General Dan Kane, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president's top military adviser, was also present, according to a second person familiar with the discussion.
The briefing by the region's top military commander came on the same day that American and Iranian officials held indirect talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program.
Neither side announced an agreement. Iran's foreign minister said progress had been made and that "technical talks" would resume in Vienna, Austria, next week.
Several Republicans and some Trump officials have privately advocated in recent days for Israel to take the lead in striking Iran, rather than the US initiating military action, two sources familiar with the discussions told ABC News.
The US president is known for considering various opinions before making a decision. Politico first reported that some of Trump's top advisers and Republicans are advocating for Israel to take the lead.
Sources say a joint US-Israeli operation is still possible, amid the US deploying an impressive number of ships and fighter jets to the region – all within reach of Iran.
"The media can continue to speculate about what the president thinks, but only President Trump knows what he can and cannot do," said White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly.
Political analysts said that the speculation that Israel would deliver the first "strike" is likely intended to serve as a kind of political cover for Republicans in Congress, who face a difficult election year. Trump campaigned on a promise that he would end wars, not start them.
Defense officials predict that if Israel strikes Iran, Iran will almost certainly retaliate. Trump could then argue that US intervention in the conflict was consistent with a long-standing policy of defending Israel, analysts say.
But that strategy could backfire if an operation in the Middle East is seen as an "Israel-backed coup," said ABC News correspondent Ramesh Ponnuru, a conservative pundit and editor of National Review.
Regardless of how it starts, "if it becomes a fierce campaign and we suffer casualties, then there will be some political risks," Ponnuru said.
Sources told ABC News that Trump's options include a limited strike on ballistic missile launchers and nuclear facilities as a warning to force Tehran to agree to Trump's demands.
Also, according to sources, a large-scale operation involving a large number of targets over a long period of time is being considered.
"An initial barrage of targets in Iran, led by Israel, would not only be a form of coercion in diplomatic negotiations. The strikes could also destroy much of Iran's air defenses if Trump decides to launch a much longer military campaign aimed at regime change," sources say.
Analysts say such an operation could last for weeks and be extremely risky, with no guarantee that Iran would emerge with a government more favorable to US interests.
Of particular concern is Iran's attempt to attack the approximately 35,000-40,000 US troops stationed in the region.
Rubio told reporters on Wednesday, while traveling to St. Kitts, that Iran was trying to restart its nuclear program after the US bombed it last June.
"You can see how they are always trying to rebuild some elements of it. They are not enriching now, but they are trying to get to a point where they can eventually do it," he said.
Rubio also said that Iran is also on a "path" to trying to acquire ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US.