A senior US military commander is reportedly planning an extensive two-week bombing campaign aimed at degrading Iran’s missile capabilities amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (Centcom), has developed strikes lasting 10 to 14 days intended to diminish Tehran’s ongoing missile threat, according to multiple reports.
The campaign follows a series of recent tit-for-tat attacks involving US forces and Iran-backed groups. US forces conducted additional overnight strikes targeting Iran in what Centcom described as a "powerful response" to a surprise missile attack launched by Tehran against American bases in Jordan earlier this week. The US military said it successfully executed a heavy wave of strikes against multiple Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets, including military command centers.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that several southern cities in Khuzestan province and Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz were hit. Authorities said three people were killed on Qeshm, while areas surrounding Abadan, Shadegan, Arvandkenar, and Ahvaz in Khuzestan also sustained attacks. The IRGC warned it would retaliate against what it called an act of aggression.
Meanwhile, Jordan reported intercepting five additional Iranian missiles on the morning following the attacks. Earlier, US President Donald Trump warned of a hard-hitting response aimed at Iran, signalling a possible escalation of hostilities. A senior administration official described Trump as being in an “escalatory mood” but still contemplating the scope of the US reaction.
Admiral Cooper’s proposed strategy marks a shift toward a more aggressive US posture in the region. It moves beyond smaller retaliatory strikes that have so far failed to deter Iran’s missile capabilities, including recent attacks that killed three US soldiers and a missile strike on Jordanian bases. The “go big” approach seeks to diminish Iran’s offensive capacity, reducing the need for US defensive munitions, which military leaders have warned are in limited supply globally.
The conflict has expanded to involve regional actors. Saudi Arabia publicly joined the US in a recent joint operation targeting Iraq-based militias it describes as “terrorist” groups loyal to Iran. The strikes targeted logistics and weapons sites of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) and reportedly killed at least 20 members. Tehran denied direct involvement in attacks on Saudi oil facilities, but an Iranian newspaper reported the deaths of four IRGC advisers during the strikes.
Iraq condemned the US-Saudi operations, rejecting all forms of aggression and asserting it will oppose the use of Iraqi territory to threaten neighboring countries. However, US officials stated the attacks were coordinated with the Iraqi government.
Additionally, drone strikes hit a US-owned gas storage tanker and a Greek-owned carrier at Egypt’s port of Damietta, with some security sources attributing the attacks to Iran in a display of its regional reach.
The unfolding situation highlights rising tensions and the potential for further escalation as the US considers a substantially intensified military campaign against Iran’s missile infrastructure.