ISTANBUL

The Pentagon is preparing military options for a "final blow" in the Iran war, involving the use of ground forces and massive bombing, according to a report by Axios, citing two US officials and two sources with knowledge of the matter.

According to the report, a "dramatic military escalation" is expected if there is no progress in talks between Tehran and Washington.

The sources said that options such as invading the strategically important islands of Kharg, Larak, Abu Musa, and others, along with a blockade of ships carrying Iranian oil east of the Strait of Hormuz, are on the table.

The report stated that some US officials believe that a "show of overwhelming force" to end the conflicts would give the US greater leverage in negotiations.

A source familiar with the negotiation efforts said that Türkiye, Pakistan, and Egypt are continuing their attempts to organize talks between the parties.

The source noted that Iran has rejected the US' initial demands but has not completely withdrawn from the negotiations.

Despite the sources' statement, US President Donald Trump has reportedly not reached a decision yet on any of these scenarios.

Any potential ground operations are seen as "hypothetical" by White House officials.