'Looking For New Ways To Punish Iran': US Military Sends Unusual Email Seeking Creative Ideas
'Looking For New Ways To Punish Iran': US Military Sends Unusual Email Seeking Creative Ideas Published By, Last Updated: August 03, 2026, 21:49 IST For
'Looking For New Ways To Punish Iran': US Military Sends Unusual Email Seeking Creative Ideas Published By, Last Updated: August 03, 2026, 21:49 IST For weeks, the United States has carried out airstrikes targeting Iran-linked capabilities while seeking to curb Tehran's ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. A U.S. military aircraft takes off from an unknown location during what U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iran. (IMAGE: REUTERS) A group of US military analysts received a rare internal email last week asking them to come up with “creative" and “unconventional" ways to pressure Iran, days before President Donald Trump called off proposed fresh strikes against Tehran. The message, sent by a senior officer in the intelligence branch of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), carried a simple directive: “We need ideas." According to CNN, who first reported the development, the email urged analysts to suggest “new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran" and was circulated to a broad group of military personnel.
The broadcaster also reported that another senior US military officer sent a similar message last week seeking fresh ideas on how to deal with Iran, signalling that CENTCOM was exploring alternative approaches. CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter, said the crowdsourcing-style request was unusual for an internal military email and reflected a broader reassessment of Washington’s options against Iran. According to the report, officials acknowledged that CENTCOM was reviewing its strategy and examining a range of possible measures as the US sought to increase pressure on Tehran and bring it back to the negotiating table. The email was sent before Trump threatened another round of strikes on Iran, only to back away from the move over the weekend after regional leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urged de-escalation. Meanwhile, Iran said on Monday there were no talks under way with the United States and no plans for any meetings, contradicting U.S. President Donald Trump, who had cited talks he said would take place that afternoon as justification for calling off attacks.
Over the weekend, Trump repeated a pattern that has emerged throughout the past five months: announcing plans for “massive attacks" on Iran, only to cancel them at the last minute. “Would I rather make a deal? I’m not looking to kill people," Trump said aboard Air Force One on Sunday. “Now what we’re doing is talking to them, in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon," he said, without identifying a venue or participants for such talks. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei rejected the statement, saying no negotiations with the United States were taking place and no meetings were scheduled. Iran had no plans to host foreign delegations or send negotiators abroad in the coming days, he said. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Shankhyaneel Sarkar Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a chief sub editor at News18.
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