Trump Convenes High-Level Meeting at White House on Broader Iran Attack

President Donald Trump convened a high-level meeting in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday evening with senior officials to discuss plans for a wide-scale military offensive against Iran. These discussions aimed to go beyond the scope of current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, according to informed sources. The sources indicated Trump's inclination towards escalating military operations to inflict significant damage on Iran. His objective is to compel Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept American conditions concerning its nuclear program. This meeting coincided with the fourth consecutive day of American strikes on Iranian targets. U.S. forces had targeted areas near the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran's southern coast, including air defense systems, radars, anti-ship missile sites, and drone launch platforms. This escalation sought to diminish Tehran's capability to conduct attacks against maritime navigation in the Strait. Conversely, Iranian forces continued launching missiles and drones towards American bases in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Simultaneously, the U.S.-imposed naval blockade on Iranian ports became effective on Tuesday. In a related statement, Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, reported that Iran targeted seven commercial vessels during the past week, resulting in the death, injury, or disappearance of approximately a dozen civilian crew members. Cooper added that the U.S. Navy successfully secured passage for about 300 ships through the Strait of Hormuz during the same period. Attendees at the Situation Room meeting included Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kien, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe, and Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, alongside other national security officials. Sources clarified that discussions focused on developing new plans for devastating strikes against strategic locations inside Iran, in addition to continuing ongoing military operations around the Strait of Hormuz. The White House declined to comment on the meeting's specifics. Prior to the meeting, President Trump affirmed in a Fox News interview that American strikes would expand in scope in the coming days, stating that U.S. forces "will hit Iran hard" within the next three days, before operations escalate further. Trump further threatened: "Next week will be very bad for them, because we will target power stations and bridges. We will destroy all power stations and all bridges if they do not come to the negotiating table."