President Donald Trump huddled with top military brass in a high-stakes Situation Room meeting on Tuesday to plot a massive military offensive against Iran, three well-placed sources have revealed to Axios. The plot is expected to dwarf current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, which has been hammered with airstrikes for four consecutive nights as the war hits its 137th day. Among those present were Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine. The gathering of top minds reportedly focused on the blueprint for new strikes on strategic spots inside Iran and additional strikes in the Strait. US officials confirmed the ultimate goal of the relentless bombardment is to completely dismantle Iran's capability to launch attacks on shipping vessels in the vital Strait of Hormuz. Further escalation began on Tuesday afternoon as a US naval blockade of Iranian ports officially went into effect, suffocating the regime's maritime trade.

In a response to the pressure, Tehran has retaliated by continuing to rain down waves of missiles and suicide drones targeting American military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. The ongoing American airstrikes have primarily hammered Iran's critical air defense networks, radar systems, anti-ship missile batteries and drone launch pads. At least seven ‌personnel were killed in the strikes on a ‌military base in Bampur, Iran overnight, Iran's ‌army said on ⁠Wednesday. Trump told Fox News on Tuesday that US forces would 'hit them very hard tonight, very hard tomorrow night' in a brutal campaign that won't stop until he says 'enough.' 'I'll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we'll hit energy targets,' Trump warned.

'We're going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants.' Trump also said the US would target bridges next week unless Iran was willing to negotiate a peace deal that included giving up their nuclear ambitions. He vowed the attacks will continue 'until I say it’s enough.' In an update late on Tuesday night, CENTCOM advised another round of strikes had been completed, hitting dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas.

'US fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defense systems during the seven-hour wave to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews,' the update said. US forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. The latest US bombing campaign comes after Trump notified Congress that the war would resume after Iran breached the memorandum of understanding by targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump did not rule out using US ground forces to ensure that his key objectives are met, especially when it comes to removing Iran's enriched uranium. US forces had been careful not to harm Iran's civilian population with strikes, but Trump warned Iran that everything was on the table. 'You better make a deal, or you're not going to have anything left,' he said. The President also likened Iran to 'a great boxer' that needed to be put to the mat. 'You think you have them beat, then they'll come back and give you a shot,' Trump said. Trump suggested later in the interview with Fox News that he wasn't interested in continuing negotiations immediately with Iran because 'they lie.'