US President Donald Trump is weighing a broader military offensive against Iran, with proposals under consideration ranging from additional airstrikes to deploying American troops to strategically important islands near the Strait of Hormuz, according to US officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.
Among the options being examined is a mission to seize Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export terminal. Officials also said discussions have included striking Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground complex believed to be connected to Iran's nuclear programme, as well as expanding attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure.
The proposals were reviewed during a high-level meeting Trump convened in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday night. According to the report, senior administration officials discussed scenarios that included sending US troops to capture Kharg Island and other territory around the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to bombing the tunnel network beneath Pickaxe Mountain, a site that has not yet been targeted by American forces.
As he considers the next phase of the conflict, Trump has also held consultations with Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine.
The United States intensified its military campaign on Wednesday by carrying out two more rounds of airstrikes, saying the objective was to reduce Iran's capacity to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking at an industry event, Trump suggested further military action remained a possibility.
"We'll find out whether or not we settle with them or we just finish it off," he said.
Washington has also tightened its naval blockade of Iranian ports. The US military said on Wednesday that it had intercepted several vessels attempting to reach Iran's coastline.
In one such incident, US forces launched Hellfire missiles at the smokestack of a Curacao-flagged ship after it ignored repeated warnings while heading towards Kharg Island. According to the military, the vessel was disabled after refusing to change course.
Despite the military escalation, US officials said Trump has not reached a final decision and continues to favour a diplomatic resolution if one can be achieved.
Negotiations, however, remain at an impasse after Iran rejected Trump's demand to surrender its nuclear stockpile, despite weeks of military pressure and an earlier interim agreement that would have allowed Tehran to resume large-scale oil exports.
The stalemate has prompted the administration to explore more aggressive military measures aimed either at compelling Iran to return to negotiations or preventing further attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Officials also noted that Trump remains cautious about committing US ground forces, pointing out that he has previously stepped back from some of his strongest public threats. Even so, they said approval of the plans under discussion would mark a significant expansion of America's role in the nearly five-month-long conflict.
In recent days, Trump has begun speaking openly about potential military targets.
"We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain," Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt this week.
During a separate interview with Fox News, he indicated that capturing Kharg Island was not his preferred course of action but remained under consideration.
"If we degrade them far enough and deep enough back, I would do that."
Some officials believe Trump's public comments may also be intended to increase pressure on Tehran to return to the negotiating table.
Wednesday marked the fifth consecutive day of US strikes after a ceasefire collapsed when Iran resumed attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Washington reinstated its blockade and authorised additional military operations.
Vice President JD Vance said the administration was seeking to combine military and diplomatic pressure rather than pursue an open-ended bombing campaign.
"We're not just going to bomb and bomb and bomb. We're going to try to use our military force as one of the many tools that we have to solve the problem."
Pickaxe Mountain has drawn particular attention because of its extensive underground tunnel system, which is believed to be carved between 300 and 475 feet beneath solid granite—considerably deeper than Iran's nuclear facilities at Natanz and Fordow.
Military experts say the depth of the complex would make it difficult to destroy, even with US bunker-buster munitions. Unlike Fordow, publicly available satellite imagery has not identified clear ventilation shafts that could present potential vulnerabilities.
Analysts, however, believe the site could still be disrupted by targeting its electricity supply, construction equipment and logistical support networks.
Trump also questioned how active the facility currently is.
"If they make any move" towards turning Pickaxe into a functioning nuclear site, "we immediately go and do whatever we have to do, but they haven't."
He added, "Nobody knows if they even are doing anything at Pickaxe, it's just something that comes up."
Trump also maintained that US bunker-buster bombs "can go deep".
Military planners have also examined the possibility of capturing Kharg Island, a move that would directly affect Iran's oil exports but would expose American troops to missile and drone attacks.
Retired Marine General Frank McKenzie said the proposal warranted serious consideration.
"That's something we should think about doing because possession of Iranian soil would be a significant factor in future negotiations with Iran."
According to officials, the White House has additionally discussed taking control of other islands along the Strait of Hormuz, including Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, to secure key shipping routes and neutralise heavily militarised Iranian positions.
Military analysts, however, have warned that such an operation would place US troops in direct combat and could substantially expand the conflict across the Middle East.
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