US military asks for "creative and unconventional" ways to "punish" Iran as Trump fumes over negotiations

Washington DC - US military officials have been reportedly asking around for ideas on how to inflict more punishment on Iran as the war continues.

A recent report claims US military officials sent an email to analysts asking for "creative and unconventional" ways to "punish" Iran.   © AFP

A source told CNN that an officer in US Central Command's intelligence branch sent out an email to military analysts on Wednesday, stating, "We are looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran."

Another source told the outlet that a different senior official had sent the message the previous week.

For weeks, the US has been aggressively hitting Iran with air strikes, but over the weekend, President Donald Trump called off the attacks, claiming regional leaders called and urged him to de-escalate.

Trump says oil firms are making "too much money" off gas shortage caused by his Iran war
Donald Trump Trump says oil firms are making "too much money" off gas shortage caused by his Iran war

Iran later denied calls for negotiations, leading Trump to demand a "Deal, or Total surrender" in an angry social media post on Monday.

Since launching the war in February, Trump has gone back and forth between promising peace and threatening to annihilate the entire country.

In spite of his latest efforts, Iran has not pivoted towards negotiations, leaving the conflict with no end in sight, and as the war continues, the US has been rapidly running through its ballistic munitions.

Officials have also acknowledged that strictly bombing Iran will not help achieve Trump's stated objectives, which could lead to him being forced to put troops on the ground.

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When asked about the possibility of a draft back in March, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to rule it out, responding that Trump "does not remove options off of the table."