Senior U.S. military officials asked intelligence analysts to propose “creative and unconventional” new ways to increase pressure on Iran, in an unusual move that may reflect the Trump administration’s difficulty in forcing Tehran to accept its terms, according to a CNN report published today (Monday).
According to the report, a senior intelligence officer at U.S. Central Command sent an email last Wednesday to a broad group of military intelligence analysts, writing: “We are looking for new, creative, and unconventional ways to apply pressure on and punish Iran.”
A separate source confirmed that a similar request had also been circulated last week in an effort to gather fresh ideas for confronting Tehran.
Officials who spoke to CNN said the decision to send such a request to a wide group of intelligence analysts by email was highly unusual. According to the report, CENTCOM is reassessing its strategy and is prepared to consider a broad range of options as it struggles to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough through its ongoing military campaign.
For weeks, the United States has been striking targets in Iran in an effort to degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and pressure the regime back to the negotiating table. However, the campaign has yet to produce a breakthrough.
Sources familiar with the matter also told CNN that even America’s most powerful conventional weapons may not be sufficient to destroy Iran’s deepest underground nuclear facilities. They said such an objective could ultimately require the deployment of ground forces—a step President Donald Trump has so far declined to authorize because of the significant risks involved.
The report underscores the growing challenge facing U.S. planners as military pressure alone has yet to compel Tehran to change course.