Bloomberg Surveillance · Friday, July 31, 2026
General Robert Welsh outlines potential US responses to the escalating Middle East conflict, including a phase one approach of increasing targeted attacks on Iranian command and control facilities and drone/missile capabilities near the Strait of Hormuz. If this fails, a more significant option involves isolating Iran by attacking infrastructure targets, potentially with Israeli involvement.
“I think the options he's got now is you know, one that Admiral Cooper has on the plate is to go much larger and really try to increase the number attacks more along the ways of what we were doing earlier in the war, but again really trying to isolate the straight of horror moves by attacking you know, command control facilities, drone and missile capabilities that can strike the straits of horror moves.”
“That would probably be a phase one approach. See how that goes, and if you can. Get around to kind of back off and try to you know, push their will to the point where they want to get back to the negotiating table, get to a ceasefire, that would be a step.”
“If that doesn't work, I think another option on the table is to go really big, and that would be to try to isolate the country itself to really significantly after probably bringing in Israel, go after infrastructure targets throughout the region.”