US reportedly weighs new Iran strikes as Trump says ‘leakers should be shot’

We begin this morning with President Trump saying government leakers should be shot as the military draws up new plans for possible strikes on Iran. At a campaign rally in Arizona Wednesday, Trump claimed he had to call off a planned attack on Iran after someone leaked the timing. He appeared to be referring to Operation Midnight Hammer, the U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in June of last year. Those strikes did go ahead. A preliminary defense intelligence assessment later leaked to the media suggested the damage was less severe than the administration had claimed. At Wednesday's rally, Trump said leakers should face life in prison or worse. Leakers should be, in my opinion, leakers should be shot. In the old days, we used to shoot leakers. When they leak, what time you're going to attack a country and the reason you're attacking is really for defense, because you don't want them to have a weapon that can blow up millions of people at one shot. No, leakers should be dealt with very, very strongly. To me, they're the scum of the earth. The leakers are the scum of the earth." Meanwhile, CNN reports the U.S. military has developed new strike plans for Iran, including the possible use of the so-called Mother of All Bombs. It's the largest non-nuclear bomb in the American arsenal, and using it against Iranian energy facilities or nuclear sites would mark a significant escalation in the war. The plans are options for Trump to consider, not orders to launch an attack. The president has said he wants to resume strikes but has sent mixed signals about whether that could happen before the midterm elections. Also new this morning, Iran is insisting the Strait of Hormuz remains closed as reports emerge of two ships being struck in the waterway this week. Iran's Revolutionary Guard confirms a cargo ship sank Wednesday but claims it hit a naval mine while taking what it calls an unauthorized and hazardous route. A U.S. official disputes that account, telling ABC News the ship was most likely hit by an Iranian missile.