The Axios news site said another plan, intended to be shared with Trump during the briefing, involved deploying ground forces to take control of part of the strait to reopen it to commercial shipping. Trump is also considering extending the US blockade or declaring a unilateral victory, officials have said.<\/p>\n
\t Amid the preparations for a potential resumption of hostilities, Bloomberg reported Thursday that CENTCOM has requested the long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile be sent to the Middle East for potential use against Iran, marking the first time Washington would deploy the technology.<\/p>\n The request by Central Command was made after Iran shifted its missile launchers out of range of the US Army\u2019s Precision Strike Missile, the current technology it has deployed, a person with direct knowledge of the request told Bloomberg, adding the request to the military was still pending.<\/p>\n CENTCOM declined to comment on the report.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned earlier Thursday that while Israel supports the United States\u2019 diplomatic efforts with Iran, it may \u201csoon be required to act again\u201d to remove the \u201cexistential threats\u201d posed by the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n \u201cIran has suffered extremely severe blows over the past year, blows that have set it back years in all areas,\u201d said Katz during a ceremony promoting the next Israeli Air Force chief, Omer Tischler, to the rank of major general.<\/p>\n \u201cUS President Trump, in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is leading the effort to complete the campaign\u2019s objectives in a way that ensures Iran will not return to being a threat to the existence of Israel, to the United States, and to the free world for generations to come,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe support this effort and provide the necessary backing, but we may soon be required to act again to ensure the objectives are achieved,\u201d Katz added.<\/p>\n But the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps\u2019 aerospace force, Majid Mousavi, threatened on Thursday that even a \u201cshort and tactical\u201d enemy operation would be met \u201cwith painful, prolonged, and extensive strikes,\u201d while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the blockade of his country\u2019s ports was effectively an \u201cextension of military operations\u201d by Washington.<\/p>\n \u201cContinuation of this oppressive approach is intolerable,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \t Despite Pezeshkian\u2019s remarks, Trump reportedly told oil executives and national security officials this week to prepare for a prolonged US blockade designed to force Tehran to surrender its nuclear program.<\/p>\n Oil prices struck a four-year high on Thursday. International benchmark Brent crude soared more than seven percent to $126 a barrel before easing in afternoon trading in London.<\/p>\n Trump faces domestic political pressure to end the military operation, which is unpopular even among parts of his base and has driven up costs at the pump for American consumers.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s economy is also suffering, with the rial falling to historic lows against the dollar.<\/p>\n Iran has proposed easing its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz if Washington lifts its blockade and broader negotiations take place. But the Trump administration has insisted that Iran\u2019s nuclear program be on the table.<\/p>\n Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Thursday evening that it was not reasonable to expect quick results from US talks.<\/p>\n \u201cExpecting to reach a result in a short time, regardless of who the mediator is, in my opinion, is not very realistic,\u201d he was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.<\/p>\n Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tAdm. Brad Cooper speaks to members of the media during a press briefing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, left, at the Pentagon in Washington, April 16, 2026. (Kevin Wolf\/AP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26119672597235-e1777554950394-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tGirls sing next to the portraits of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in a state-organized rally celebrating the birthday of Imam Reza, the 8th Shiite Muslim Imam, and supporting the supreme leader, in Tehran, Iran, April 29, 2026. (AP\/Vahid Salemi)<\/p>\n
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