U.S. Prepares Strike Plan as Iran Vows to Hold Hormuz — Trump Briefing Looms

WASHINGTON — The United States teeters on the edge of renewed military action against Iran as President Donald Trump prepares to receive a classified briefing Thursday on a new CENTCOM war plan. U.S. Central Command has drawn up a 'short and powerful' wave of airstrikes targeting Iranian infrastructure, designed to shatter the deadlock in nuclear negotiations and force Tehran back to the table. The briefing, led by CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, comes as the six-week-old naval blockade tightens its grip: 42 commercial vessels have been redirected, and 41 Iranian oil tankers sit stranded with 69 million barrels of oil — worth over $6 billion — that Iran cannot sell. Trump, who told Axios that the blockade is 'somewhat more effective than the bombing,' has rejected Iran's proposal to lift the naval siege before addressing nuclear talks. Tehran is refusing to yield. Iran's parliament declared the country will 'never relinquish its control over the Strait of Hormuz,' and a senior Revolutionary Guard commander warned that any new U.S. strikes will be met with 'prolonged and wide-ranging painful strikes' in response. Oil prices surged past $126 a barrel overnight — the highest since 2022 — before easing to around $114, as markets priced in the risk of escalation. Pakistan continues to mediate, with Iran's revised peace proposal expected to arrive by Friday.