Trump Briefed on Potential Iran Strikes as U.S. Forms Maritime Coalition

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with U.S. Central Command leader Brad Cooper on Thursday to review military options for a "short and powerful" wave of strikes against Iranian infrastructure. The briefing comes amid a period of intense regional friction, with oil prices reaching four-year highs as the administration maintains a naval blockade. To bolster these efforts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved the Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC), a joint initiative aimed at forming an international coalition to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Diplomatic efforts remain stalled as the administration expresses skepticism over Iranian proposals to trade control of the Strait for an end to the blockade. U.S. officials noted difficulty in identifying a unified negotiating voice in Tehran between diplomatic representatives and the Revolutionary Guard. High-level mediation attempts have faced setbacks, including Vice President JD Vance twice aborting scheduled trips to Pakistan. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally warned President Trump of "damaging consequences" should military operations escalate. On the regional front, proxy tensions continue to simmer despite ceasefire agreements. Conflict in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of at least three Lebanese soldiers following Israeli strikes this week. Within Iran, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has framed the ongoing U.S. blockade as a deliberate attempt to cause the Iranian government to collapse from within, signaling a hardening of Tehran's domestic and international stance.