Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, briefed President Donald Trump on Thursday about a range of possible military responses to Iran, a person close to the president told ABC News. Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president’s senior military adviser, also attended, a second source said.
The briefing came as U.S. and Iranian officials were holding indirect talks in Geneva about Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. No deal was announced; Iran’s foreign minister said progress had been made and that technical talks would resume in Vienna next week.
Several Republicans and some Trump administration officials have privately suggested in recent days that Israel could lead an initial strike against Iran rather than the United States opening hostilities, according to two people familiar with the discussions. It was not clear on Thursday whether the president had accepted that approach. U.S. forces have moved numerous ships and fighter jets into the region, positioning assets within striking distance of Iran, and sources say a joint U.S.-Israeli operation remains possible.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly pushed back on speculation about the president’s intentions, saying the media can speculate but only the president knows what he may or may not do.
Analysts say proposals for Israel to strike first could be designed to give political cover to Republicans in Congress facing a difficult election year: if Iran retaliated against Israel, Trump could more easily justify U.S. intervention as defending an ally, consistent with long-standing policy. But ABC News contributor Ramesh Ponnuru warned the plan could backfire if it is perceived across the Middle East as an “Israeli-backed coup,” and he urged that any action be framed by a clear strategy and mission.
Sen. Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe gave a classified briefing to a small group of senior lawmakers on Iran this week; participants said Democrats who attended appreciated being consulted, something they said has not always happened before major foreign-policy decisions. Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, described the situation as an extraordinary and serious moment for the Middle East and for the United States.
U.S. options presented to the president reportedly range from limited strikes targeting ballistic missile launchers and nuclear-related sites as a warning, to a major operation striking multiple targets over a sustained period. Officials said an opening salvo led by Israel could serve both to coerce Tehran in diplomacy and to degrade Iranian air defenses, potentially setting conditions for a broader campaign that some planners say could aim at regime change.
Analysts cautioned such a campaign would carry high risks, could last weeks or longer, and would not guarantee a successor government aligned with U.S. interests. A central concern is the danger posed to the roughly 35,000 to 40,000 U.S. troops stationed in the region, who could become targets of Iranian retaliation.
Rubio told reporters he believes Iran is trying to rebuild elements of its nuclear program after a prior U.S. strike last June. He said Iran is not enriching at the moment but is working toward capabilities that could eventually enable a weapons program, and he warned Tehran is on a pathway toward acquiring ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.