US prepares plan for two-week air campaign against Iran

The Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, has prepared a plan for a large-scale air campaign against Iran that could last up to two weeks, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources.

U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet decided on further military action against the Islamic Republic, according to the sources. He may approve Cooper’s proposal, in which case U.S. forces would carry out intensive bombing of Iran for 10 to 14 days despite dwindling U.S. stockpiles of air defense munitions, in an effort to weaken the country’s missile capabilities. Trump could also opt for limited strikes in the hope of preserving a path to a diplomatic settlement.

Cooper believes the U.S. military should increase the intensity of its attacks to turn the situation around, while Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine takes a more cautious view, the newspaper said. Caine is concerned about the depletion of U.S. interceptor missile stocks. According to him, America’s shrinking munitions stockpiles could have an impact on military operations in Iran.