Report: The US is formulating attack plans in case the ceasefire collapses

Officials in the United States military are currently developing new operational plans aimed at significantly damaging Iran’s military capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz region. This was reported tonight (between Thursday and Friday) on the CNN network. According to the report, the plans are intended to be implemented in the event that the current ceasefire between the countries collapses.

American military planners are examining several types of targets, with special emphasis being placed on Iran’s “dynamic targets” in the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz. These are military assets that allow Tehran to actually close the critical international shipping lane, including: fast attack boats, vessels dedicated to laying naval mines and other military means operating in the strait area.

However, sources who spoke to the network clarified that there is an understanding in the American security system that military attacks around the strait alone are not expected to lead to the immediate reopening of the shipping lane.

As part of the attempt to force Iran to return to the negotiating table, the US military may carry out threats made in the past by the Trump administration. According to the report, the possibility of attacking dual-use targets and strategic infrastructures, which include, among others, Iranian energy facilities, is being considered. The goal during this is to exert heavy economic and political pressure on the regime in Tehran.

Another layer in the emerging plan concerns a direct attack on the personnel leading the hawkish line in Iran. Army planners raised the possibility of hitting individual Iranian commanders and other key figures within the regime.

According to American sources, these are “obstructing factors” that have been actively working in recent times to thwart diplomatic contacts and attempts to reach a settlement.

The US military has significantly increased its forces in the region: the aircraft carrier “George HW Bush” has officially entered the Central Command sector (CENTCOM), thus increasing the number of aircraft carriers operating in the Middle East to three. The operational plans of the US are being formulated against the background of disturbing reports from the last few days about increasing Iranian activity in the field. According to Barak Ravid’s report, Tehran has begun to plant additional sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time as the build-up of forces, President Trump sharpened the tone in a series of public statements. Trump stated that he ordered the military to attack any Iranian vessel identified as laying mines in the Strait, and even offered to “kill the party that is not interested in the deal”. In his words, he also referred to the internal power struggles in Tehran, when he claimed that Iran is having trouble understanding who its leader is due to a “crazy gap” between the extreme current and the so-called moderate, which he says is not moderate at all.

However, alongside military preparedness, a report by the “Wall Street Journal” reveals the heavy price the US is paying for the protracted campaign. According to the report, the US military has so far launched over 1,000 long-range Tomahawk missiles and about 2,000 air defense missiles (including Patriot and Tahad systems).

The resulting shortage in the ammunition depots, whose complete renewal is expected to take at least six years, causes deep concern in Washington. The logistical crisis is already prompting urgent discussions to update global defense plans, fearing that the depletion of stocks will harm the US’s ability to defend Taiwan in the event of a confrontation with China.