US officer emails troops, asking for “creative and unconventional ways” to punish Iran: CNN
- CNN reports that US Central Command sought “creative and unconventional” ideas from military analysts to increase pressure on Iran.
- The reported email highlights growing concerns over the limited options available to the Trump administration in its war with Iran.
Senior officers at the US military command overseeing President Donald Trump’s war with Iran have asked military analysts to propose new ways to increase pressure on Tehran, according to CNN.
The network reported that a senior officer in the intelligence branch of US Central Command (CENTCOM) sent an email on Wednesday to a broad group of military analysts requesting “new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran,” citing a source familiar with the message.
A second source told CNN that the email was part of a wider effort by CENTCOM to reassess its approach toward Iran and explore alternative strategies. The source said the command is “looking at everything” as it reevaluates its current strategy.
According to CNN, the crowdsourcing-style request was unusual for military communications and reflects the increasingly limited, and potentially politically difficult, options available to the Trump administration as it seeks to force Iran into an agreement on its terms.
The report said the brainstorming initiative was launched in hopes that analysts across the command could offer new ideas beyond existing military and diplomatic options.
Responding to CNN, CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Timothy Hawkins defended the approach, saying the command has “a long history of thinking and working in innovative ways.”
“Admiral Cooper, in particular, reaches out to members of our great team, regardless of rank, to achieve the highest levels of operational performance possible,” Hawkins said in a statement.
CNN noted that the email was sent before Trump publicly threatened to launch new strikes against Iran. However, those strikes were reportedly called off over the weekend after regional leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urged the US president to de-escalate the situation.
