CNN reports that a senior officer in U.S. Central Command’s intelligence branch emailed a broad group of military analysts last week, requesting new ideas for dealing with Iran. “We are looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran,” the officer reportedly wrote. A second source told CNN that CENTCOM “is looking at everything,” acknowledging that the Pentagon needs to reevaluate its strategy. CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Timothy Hawkins apparently declined to deny the report, saying in a statement that the practice is routine and CENTCOM “has a long history of thinking and working in innovative ways.”
CNN framed the email, which officials called an unusual approach, as a sign of how limited Trump’s options are for forcing a deal on Iran. Sources told CNN that the military has been preparing strikes on Pickaxe Mountain and other suspected nuclear sites, but add that bombs alone can’t reach facilities buried deep underground—destroying them would require ground troops.
