The Pentagon acknowledged Monday that it prepares military contingencies for a wide range of situations, but declined to address a specific report claiming that planning for potential action against Iran has been ongoing since 2002. Spokesman Bryan Whitman stressed that Washington's approach to Iran centers on resolving nuclear concerns through international diplomacy.
Military analyst William Arkin, writing in the Washington Post, reported that the planning operates under the codename TIRANNT (Theater Iran Near Term). According to Arkin, Army General John Abizaid was assigned the task in 2002, with serious planning underway by May 2003.
The reported planning covers multiple scenarios: a Marine Corps-led ground invasion, assessments of Iranian missile capabilities, Air Force modeling of strikes on Iranian air defenses, Navy evaluations of coastal targets, and measures to secure the Strait of Hormuz. A follow-on analytical phase launched in October 2003 examined various outcomes to give commanders a range of options.
Arkin's account followed an earlier New Yorker report that said planners were considering nuclear bunker-busting munitions against deeply buried facilities. Whitman dismissed characterizations of the planning as "wild speculation," echoing President George W. Bush's response to that story.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2006, in its own words.