The US military has initiated a request for ‘creative and unconventional’ ideas to pressure and punish Iran, a move prompted by President Trump’s ongoing war with the nation. A message sent to a broad group of military analysts, originating from CENTCOM, outlined the request. According to a source familiar with the message, a senior military officer, Capt. Timothy Hawkins, solicited novel approaches to deter Iran. The request follows a period of intense military activity, including air strikes designed to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table, but with no concrete agreement reached. The official at CENTCOM, in a statement, stated that the military is actively evaluating all options, acknowledging the need to re-evaluate the strategy. ‘U.S. Central Command has a long history of innovative thinking,’ Hawkins said, ‘and Admiral Cooper, in particular, reaches out to members of his team to achieve the highest levels of operational performance possible.’ The email preceded Trump’s threat to launch new strikes against Iran, which were subsequently withdrawn after regional officials, notably Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, intervened by urging him to de-escalate. Weeks of intense military activity has focused on destroying Iran’s remaining nuclear facilities, with the military actively preparing to launch strikes on Pickaxe Mountain and other Iranian sites believed to contain either nuclear material or equipment. However, sources within the military suggest that missiles and bombs alone are unlikely to achieve much, due to the facilities’ deep underground location. To destroy them, the US would likely need to use ground troops, a significant risk that Trump has been unwilling to take, amid questions about his administration’s transparency regarding service member casualties. Eighteen US service members have been killed in the fighting so far. The President’s most senior military advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, acknowledged publicly that bombing alone is unlikely to accomplish all Trump’s previously stated objectives for the war. Caine stated, ‘Air power has its limits,’ indicating a shift in thinking towards alternative strategies. Options for escalating the conflict have been presented to Trump for months, debated at length, and more military assets have flowed to the region in anticipation of a go-ahead from the president. A proposed plan by CENTCOM involves heavy bombardment over a period of one or two weeks to take out Iran’s missile capabilities, with US officials stating that the plan is designed to deliver a ‘fireworks’ display – a symbolic victory that would allow Trump to exit the war without actually accomplishing one of his initial aims: ridding Iran of its nuclear program. Trump could escalate by putting American boots on the ground, a threat he’s repeatedly made as he’s discussed occupying the strategic Kharg Island or removing Iran’s highly enriched uranium. Alternatively, he could accept a dangerous status quo – endless rounds of strikes and counterstrikes with Iran that are likely to cost further American lives and leave the Strait of Hormuz in a state of constant peril that resembles the ‘forever wars’ he has criticized. Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Friday when asked about concluding the war, ‘I think we just want to win,’ and emphasized the need to ‘hit them very hard, and you know, at some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’”
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Source: CNN
