U.S. President Donald Trump is set to receive a briefing more potential military action in Iran on Thursday, Axios reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.

The briefing indicates that Trump is seriously considering resuming major military operations against Iran to break a deadlock with Tehran over the past two weeks, the Axios reported late-Wednesday. 

U.S. Central Command leader Admiral Brad Cooper is set to brief Trump on potential options, which include plans for a wave of attacks on Iran — likely including infrastructure targets — to break the deadlock, the report said.

Such a move is likely to end an indefinite ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, with attempts at peace talks having largely fallen flat in recent weeks. 

Plans for more strikes are intended to either further coax Iran towards a deal, or to strike a finishing blow before ending the war, the Axios said. 

The hope is for Iran to return to the negotiating table with more flexibility on its nuclear issues, the report said. This came after Iran presented a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, while shelving discussions on its nuclear plans. 

The proposal was received poorly by Trump, with Iran’s nuclear activities remaining a key point of contention. 

Other options that Trump will be briefed on include a special forces operation to secure Iran’s uranium stockpile, or to take over part of the Strait of Hormuz by force and reopen it for commercial shipping, the Axios report said. Both operations could include ground forces. 

The U.S. has largely maintained its naval blockade of Iran, with Trump having viewed the move a major source of pressure on Tehran to accept a deal.

But Tehran has largely called for an ending of the blockade before more peace talks can be held. The country has also effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz for much of the roughly two months since the onset of the war. 

Brent crude futures, the global benchmark, briefly surged to their highest intraday level since the beginning of the conflict in late February following the Axios report, but later gave those gains. Stocks in Asia and Europe were volatile.

White House seeking international help to reopen Hormuz – WSJ 

The Trump administration is seeking to build a new international coalition to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as traffic through the vital waterway remains stalled, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Citing an internal State Department cable, the report said U.S. diplomats have been instructed to press foreign governments to join a proposed “Maritime Freedom Construct,” aimed at enabling safe navigation and coordinating responses to disruptions.

The initiative would involve information-sharing, diplomatic coordination, and sanctions enforcement, according to the cable, and could include both diplomatic and military participation.

The effort comes as tensions with Iran continue to disrupt traffic, with Tehran accused of targeting vessels and the U.S. maintaining a sweeping blockade on ships linked to Iranian ports.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a central issue in stalled U.S.-Iran talks. The effective shuttering of a narrow chokepoint for a fifth of the world’s oil has raised concerns over global energy supplies and oil prices.

The Wall Street Journal said the push signals Washington’s desire to involve allies more directly, even as Trump has previously criticised partners, particularly in Europe, for not doing enough to secure the waterway.