The president reviewed plans for a broader campaign against Iranian military and infrastructure targets while warning that power plants and bridges could be attacked unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump is considering a major expansion of U.S. military operations against Iran as American forces continue striking coastal defenses, missile positions and drone sites near the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump convened senior national security officials in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday to review possible attacks on additional strategic targets inside Iran and military assets threatening commercial shipping in the critical waterway, according to an Axios report.
The meeting indicated that the administration is preparing for a broader campaign intended to force Tehran back to negotiations and end Iranian attacks on vessels traveling through one of the world’s most important shipping corridors.
Trump met with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, special envoy Steve Witkoff and other senior national security officials.
The discussions came as U.S. forces completed a fourth consecutive day of attacks against Iranian military positions.
The strikes targeted air defense systems, radar installations, anti-ship missile sites and drone launch locations along the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pentagon has said the campaign is designed to reduce Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping after several vessels came under fire in recent days.
Trump warned before the Situation Room meeting that the pace and intensity of the operation could increase.
“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight,” Trump told Fox News. “We’re going to hit them hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them really hard the night after.”
The president said Iran could face attacks on major civilian and industrial infrastructure if its leaders refuse to negotiate.
“Next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges,” Trump said.
“We’re gonna knock out all their power plants. We’re gonna knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate,” he added.
Trump also said American officials were closely monitoring activity at Iran’s deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility.
The president indicated that the United States would strike the site if intelligence showed significant activity there.
U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday morning that American forces had completed another series of precision attacks on Iranian military facilities.
The operation struck coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island near the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM said in an X post.
The island’s location near the shipping route gives Iranian forces the ability to threaten vessels moving through the strait.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said Iran had attacked seven commercial ships during the previous week, according to Axios.
The attacks killed, injured or left missing nearly a dozen civilian crew members, Cooper said.
Despite those assaults, U.S. forces coordinated the safe passage of approximately 300 ships through the Strait of Hormuz, according to American officials.
The narrow waterway connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and carries a significant portion of the world’s oil and natural gas exports.
Continued attacks or a sustained closure of the route could disrupt global energy supplies, increase transportation costs and push oil prices higher.
Iran has retaliated by firing missiles and drones at American bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain while condemning the expanding U.S. campaign.
The exchanges have widened the confrontation beyond Iranian territory and commercial vessels, raising the risk that additional American allies and military installations could be drawn into the conflict.
Trump has also revised his plan for financing U.S. protection of shipping through the strait.
The president previously proposed charging vessels a reimbursement fee for using the waterway but later abandoned that approach.
The administration instead imposed a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports and cargo while encouraging Gulf allies to compensate the United States through expanded trade and investment.
The blockade adds economic pressure to the continuing air and missile campaign by restricting Iranian commerce while U.S. forces target the military systems used to threaten shipping.
Oil prices remained above $85 per barrel Wednesday as traders evaluated the possibility of a wider war and continuing uncertainty over access to the Strait of Hormuz.
The sustained increase reflects concerns that additional attacks on ships, ports, energy facilities or regional infrastructure could interrupt supplies.
Trump’s warnings suggest that the administration is prepared to move beyond attacks on missile launchers, radars and coastal defenses if Tehran does not agree to negotiations.
Potential strikes on power plants and bridges would represent a significant expansion of the campaign and could affect Iran’s civilian economy in addition to its military operations.
The administration has not announced a final decision on the broader target list discussed in the Situation Room.
For now, CENTCOM continues attacking Iranian systems near the Strait of Hormuz while American officials monitor the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site and coordinate the movement of commercial vessels through the region.
Trump has framed the escalating operation as both a military response to Iranian attacks and a means of compelling Tehran to reach a negotiated settlement.
His comments, however, indicate that Iran could face a widening series of strikes if its leaders reject that demand.
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