Washington, DC [US], October 30 (ANI): The head of the US military’s Central Command briefed President Donald Trump on military options for Iran during a White House meeting on Thursday, as Washington weighs resuming major combat operations, a report by The Wall Street Journal stated.
The meeting, attended by Adm. Brad Cooper, also included US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and additional Cabinet members, the publication noted, citing US officials and sources familiar with the proceedings.
The gathering followed a White House meeting on Wednesday involving the military officials and Vice President JD Vance, the Journal reported.
The discussions come as the Trump administration considers a potential new military campaign against Iran following the US and Israeli bombing campaign earlier this year.
Washington has increased air defences, munitions and additional supplies across the Middle East in recent weeks, while repositioning select troops away from installations considered vulnerable to potential Iranian retaliation, according to the report.
A Pentagon spokesperson and a CENTCOM spokesperson both declined to comment when approached by the newspaper.
Against the backdrop of these military deliberations, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on Thursday that the United States’ “carrot-and-stick approach” would not influence Tehran, stressing that progress towards peace talks rested on the acceptance of Iran’s seven conditions.
“Iran’s conditions have been repeatedly and clearly stated to the mediators. The carrot-and-stick approach does not affect Iran,” Ghalibaf wrote on X. “Progress can only be achieved once Iran’s seven conditions have been agreed upon.”
His comments followed reports that mediators had alerted Iran to the possibility of renewed US airstrikes unless it accepted nuclear concessions, while Washington was said to be ready to ease some sanctions and end its naval blockade of Iran in exchange.
Amid these efforts to revive negotiations, Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Fars reported on Thursday that Tehran had received a letter from US Vice President JD Vance but had yet to reply.
Tasnim reported that “Iran has received the letter but has not yet responded”, while Fars cited a source familiar with the matter for a similar account.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Vance had sent the letter to Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei at the direction of President Donald Trump, with the move intended to restart negotiations and avert further US strikes.
According to the newspaper, the letter and subsequent contacts between officials from both sides concentrated on establishing a possible framework for negotiations rather than defining precise terms for a peace agreement.
These diplomatic efforts are unfolding during a war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders.
Meanwhile, compounding regional tensions, Iran’s armed forces announced that at least three oil tankers had caught fire after striking mines while trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The claim came just a day after the US military said it had cleared main routes through the waterway.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps stated that three tankers had exploded and caught fire over the previous 24 hours while seeking to use what it called an unauthorised southern route through the strait.
According to the IRGC, the vessels had “switched off all their radar and navigation systems” and disregarded warnings from the Iranian navy. (ANI)
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