US CENTCOM Commander Proposes Two-Week Airstrike Plan to Cripple Iran’s Missile Capability

Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), has developed a two-week military plan aimed at significantly degrading Iran’s missile capabilities, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal published on July 30, 2026. The plan involves intensive airstrikes over a period of 10 to 14 days, with the goal of reducing the Iranian missile threat and thereby lessening the need for the US to rely heavily on defensive ammunition.

The report emerged shortly before the US resumed airstrikes against Iran, which were retaliatory actions following an Iranian missile attack on US bases in Jordan. While President Donald Trump has threatened a strong military response, it remains unclear whether he will approve Cooper’s comprehensive plan. A senior administration official described Trump as being "in an escalatory mood" but still deliberating on the "depth of the response."

Sources cited in the report indicated that Israel might participate in a potential large-scale US offensive against Iran. The strategy behind Cooper’s plan is to move beyond tit-for-tat strikes, which have failed to deter Tehran’s attacks on US forces in the Middle East. Instead, the plan aims to substantially weaken Iran’s missile arsenal to break the current stalemate.

Despite the plan’s aggressive nature, some Washington officials have criticized it, warning that a new air campaign risks dragging the US deeper into conflict. Trump has reportedly been weighing options between limited military action and maintaining diplomatic channels. Cooper’s approach is intended to reduce the Iranian threat to US forces and allies by diminishing Iran’s offensive missile capabilities, potentially changing the strategic balance in the region.