Trump gathers his security team and prepares a broader military offensive against Iran

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, led a meeting on Tuesday in the White House Situation Room to discuss a new phase of the military offensive against Iran, which, according to several sources familiar with the meeting, will be broader than the attacks carried out thus far in the Strait of Hormuz.

The meeting took place while the U.S. Armed Forces were completing the fourth consecutive day of operations over the strait area and the southern Iranian coast.

The bombings have focused on air defense systems, radars, anti-ship missile positions, and drone launch platforms, with the aim of significantly reducing Iran's ability to attack maritime traffic in one of the world's most important energy routes.

In response, Tehran continued launching missiles and drones against U.S. military bases located in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, escalating tensions throughout the region, according to a report from Axios.

During the day, the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports went into effect. The commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, stated that Iran has deliberately attacked commercial vessels over the past week, resulting in fatalities, missing persons, and injuries among civilian crews.

Despite this, U.S. officials stated that around 300 ships managed to cross the Strait of Hormuz with support from the country's naval forces.

In the meeting, participants included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, among other high-ranking officials.

Before the meeting, Trump stated in an interview with Fox News that the military campaign will intensify over the coming days. The president warned that if Iran does not agree to negotiate on its nuclear program, the United States will escalate attacks on the country's strategic infrastructure.

It also confirmed that Washington is monitoring the underground facility at Pickaxe Mountain, a site that the U.S. and Israel consider potentially linked to Iran's nuclear program.

Trump stated that if they detect relevant activity in that complex, "we will hit them hard", while insisting that his negotiators have conveyed to Tehran the necessity of reaching an agreement to prevent further escalation of the conflict.