The Trump administration is actively considering plans to secure or remove portions of Iran’s nuclear stockpiles as the U.S.-Israel campaign against Tehran enters a volatile phase. Officials who have been briefed on the deliberations say planners have focused on possible operations involving the secretive Joint Special Operations Command, the elite unit often used for sensitive counter-proliferation missions. No final decision has been made and timing remains unclear. White House and Pentagon spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Military movements and preparations have accelerated. About 2,200 U.S. Marines and three warships from a second Marine expeditionary unit left California this week en route to the Middle East; a first unit dispatched from the Pacific is already on its way. Pentagon planners have drawn up detailed options for inserting U.S. ground forces into Iran, and senior commanders have forwarded formal requests as the president weighs whether to position additional troops in the region.
Officials also acknowledged the capability to strike or seize key Iranian infrastructure if ordered. A senior U.S. official said the United States could neutralize Kharg Island, Iran’s principal oil export terminal, and is examining measures including blockades or temporary occupations aimed at pressuring Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, Britain granted U.S. forces access to U.K. bases to strike Iranian missile sites targeting shipping in the strait; London stressed it sought to avoid being drawn into a broader war and urged rapid de-escalation.
Cross-border combat between Israel and Iran continued to escalate. Israel mounted repeated air operations against targets inside Iran, while Tehran responded with waves of missiles and drones aimed at Israeli territory. Interceptions caused debris to fall on population centers, and several civilians were treated for blast-related injuries. Israel also said it had conducted targeted killings of senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps figures as part of a campaign it describes as necessary to degrade Tehran’s capabilities.
Iran widened its attacks on Gulf energy and infrastructure. The United Arab Emirates reported intercepting dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones since the campaign intensified, including one day when defenses engaged four ballistic missiles and some two dozen drones. Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia reported explosions and intercepted strikes. Iranian strikes targeted facilities in Kuwait and damaged energy infrastructure across the region, including an attack that struck Israel’s Haifa refinery and likely put it temporarily out of service.
U.S. forces have sustained injuries and equipment incidents. U.S. Central Command reported 232 American service members injured since the conflict began; 207 have returned to duty and 10 were classified as seriously wounded. In a potentially significant development, a U.S. F-35 made an emergency landing at an undisclosed base in the Middle East after a combat sortie over Iran; the pilot was said to be in stable condition and U.S. sources indicated the jet may have been struck, which if confirmed would mark the first successful Iranian hit on a U.S. aircraft in the campaign.
Diplomatic maneuvering unfolded alongside military moves. Iran’s foreign minister told Kyodo News Tehran had not closed the Strait of Hormuz and offered to assist Japanese vessels transiting the waterway; Tokyo, heavily reliant on Gulf oil, began releasing strategic reserves and discussed a joint crude stockpiling initiative with the United States. Iran’s foreign minister also criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for permitting U.S. strikes from U.K. bases, accusing him of endangering British lives; Britain defended the decision as necessary to degrade missile systems used against shipping.
Other international responses included Russia summoning Israel’s ambassador after a strike in Lebanon injured a pro-Kremlin news crew and condemning what Moscow called U.S.-Israeli aggression. NATO withdrew its advisory mission from Iraq and relocated personnel to Europe after Iranian attacks on allied bases in northern Iraq. Sri Lanka declined U.S. requests to basing warplanes at a civilian airport, citing neutrality, and several nations signaled reluctance to offer basing or direct military involvement.
On the economic front, the U.S. Treasury temporarily authorized purchase of Iranian oil that was already at sea under a limited cutoff, exempting some buyers from sanctions through April 19 in an effort to calm global oil markets. The move represents a departure from earlier maximum-pressure policies. The administration is also tapping strategic petroleum reserves and easing regulations to blunt rising fuel costs, yet Brent crude climbed sharply and analysts warned that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would be the most effective way to reduce prices.
Commercial impacts are mounting. United Airlines’ CEO warned staff that jet fuel could spike to as high as $175 a barrel and remain elevated, threatening airline viability. U.S. gasoline prices approached $4 a gallon, and higher fuel costs are flowing through freight and consumer goods prices across supply chains.
Security and law enforcement actions have continued worldwide. U.K. authorities arrested two people near HM Naval Base Clyde after an attempted entry; London also disclosed arrests tied to alleged Iranian spying in the capital. Israeli officials detained a reservist from an Iron Dome unit on suspicion of selling sensitive information to contacts linked to Iran. Former detainees cautioned that Americans believed to be held in Iranian prisons face heightened risk amid the intensifying conflict.
Rhetoric from leaders has grown sharper. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Iran’s command structure is fragmented following targeted strikes and questioned the influence of Iran’s new supreme leader. Tehran’s leadership vowed resilience, defended continued missile production, and warned it could target leisure and tourist sites abroad. President Trump posted on social media that the U.S. was getting closer to meeting its objectives and said officials were considering winding down operations once goals — preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear capability and degrading missile and naval capacities — were achieved, while criticizing some allies for not contributing forces to reopen the strait.
Humanitarian effects are significant: millions in Israel and neighboring areas have faced repeated air-raid alerts and sheltering, with emergency responders treating civilians for injuries from debris and strikes. Iran said attacks on the South Pars gas field threatened domestic power and fuel supplies but maintained it was continuing production and missile stockpiling despite the war.
The situation remains fluid. Military assets are being repositioned while policymakers continue to weigh a range of options from targeted special operations to larger troop deployments. Diplomatic and economic measures are being adjusted to try to reduce the conflict’s impact on global energy markets as the crisis evolves day by day.