Top US Military Commander Brad Cooper Briefs Trump On Possible Iran Strikes

The top US military commander responsible for the Middle East met President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to discuss possible military actions against Iran as the U.S. weighs resuming strikes on Iran.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine also attended the meeting. According to the report by The Wall Street Journal, US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper briefed Trump on the available military options.

The meeting took place amid reports last week that Washington and Jerusalem were weighing a “short but intensive operation” involving fresh strikes on Iran after the November 3 US midterm elections.

Military preparations have also increased, with potential targets including Iran's energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities and stockpiles of missiles and drones. However, the report noted that Trump could still choose not to launch an attack.

Several US military cargo aircraft have arrived at American bases across the Middle East in recent days, including those in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.

Although the shipments' contents have not been disclosed, they are believed to be linked to Washington's efforts to strengthen regional air defences amid the possibility of renewed conflict with Iran.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the US military was transferring a Patriot missile battery from Texas to reinforce its air defence capabilities in the region.

The talks are taking place amid reports that officials in the Trump administration have asked Arab Gulf countries to be ready for a brief but intense military operation after the US midterm elections.

Trump also hinted at fresh military action during a rally last week, saying: “We may do another little Epic Fury,” referring to the major US-Israeli bombing campaign carried out in the spring. “Or they’ll agree.”

JD Vance Writes To Iran

Acting on Trump's instructions, Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, a senior member of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a former longtime commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to WSJ.

The move appears aimed at finding possible areas of agreement between Washington and Tehran that could convince Trump to hold back from ordering a brief but intense military attack on Iran in the coming weeks.

According to a person familiar with the matter, Vance's letter and the exchanges that followed between US and Iranian officials did not contain specific peace proposals. Instead, the discussions focused on creating a framework for possible negotiations.