'Be Creative, Unconventional': US Military Asks Troops To Find New Ways To Punish Iran

The US Central Command, the American combat unit stationed in the Middle East, has reportedly reached out to a broad group of military analysts seeking "new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran." In an email sent last week, an officer in US Central Command's intelligence branch kicked off a brainstorming session, soliciting new ideas on how to deal with Iran, according to a report by CNN. 

Seeking crowdsourcing-style queries through email was an unusual move from the military and is an indication that President Donald Trump is left with limited -- and potentially unpalatable -- options to force Iran into a deal on his terms, officials noted while talking to the American publication. 

The second source noted that CENTCOM is looking at everything, acknowledging it needs to reevaluate the strategy.

"US Central Command has a long history of thinking and working in innovative ways," Captain Timothy Hawkins, a spokesperson for CENTCOM, said in a statement to CNN.

"Admiral Cooper, in particular, reaches out to members of our great team, regardless of rank, to achieve the highest levels of operational performance possible," he added. 

The Timing

The CENTCOM email came before Trump last week threatened to launch new unprecedented strikes against Iran, only to call them off after Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, intervened by calling Trump and urging him to de-escalate.

The United States has carried out unrelenting air strikes on Iran for weeks, with an intention to weaken Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and to bring the Islamic Republic back to the negotiating table. 

But so far, there is no sign of a deal.

The US president has repeatedly threatened to escalate America's military campaign against Iran, especially aimed at Tehran's remaining nuclear facilities, which the US leader claimed had been "obliterated" in strikes last summer. 

Two sources familiar with the planning told CNN that the military has been actively preparing to strike Pickaxe Mountain and other Iranian sites believed to contain either nuclear material or equipment.

Trump's Intention

But sources pointed out that even America's most powerful conventional weapons are unlikely to achieve much because the facilities are buried deeply underground.

"To destroy them, the US would likely need to use ground troops -- a tremendous risk that Trump has been unwilling to take -- amid questions about his administration's transparency over service member casualties," they said. 

So far, at least 18 US service members have been killed in the fighting in the Middle East. 

With no real victory in sight, Trump has reportedly lowered his expectations and is hoping to end the war with just a symbolic win. A source said Trump has been considering strikes akin to a "fireworks" display, which could hit either the same or similar sites as those targeted a year ago, in the hopes of a symbolic victory that would allow him to exit the war.

The move would abandon one of Trump's initial war aims -- ridding Iran of its nuclear program. The move is also unlikely to resolve what has become the war's central issue, Iranian claims over the Strait of Hormuz.

"At the end of the day, POTUS will want a deal, so he'll continually look for ways to get tough and get out of this," said one of the sources familiar with recent planning discussions.

"You need creative minds at times -- especially if you're running out of conventional options," they added. 

CNN has earlier reported that both the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defence Intelligence Agency have assessed that the kind of bombing the US is carrying out is unlikely to shift the Iranian negotiating position. Even Trump's most senior military adviser, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, has acknowledged publicly that bombing alone is unlikely to accomplish all Trump's previously stated objectives for the war.

"Air power has its limits," Caine told lawmakers last month.