US Central Command is examining new ways to increase pressure on Iran beyond conventional military and political measures, CNN reported, citing correspondence between a senior intelligence official and a group of military analysts.

In an email sent on July 29, the recipients were asked to develop creative and unconventional options for influencing Tehran. According to CNN, the request was distributed to a broad group of specialists.

Another source told the network that Central Command is reviewing a range of scenarios and accepts that its current strategy may need to be reconsidered. President Donald Trump ultimately wants an agreement, the source said, and is therefore expected to keep searching for tools that could intensify pressure on Iran while also creating a way out of the current confrontation.

The source added that unconventional proposals become more important as the range of traditional options narrows.

At the same time, senior US military officials doubt that airstrikes alone can deliver the desired outcome. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, previously pointed to the limited effectiveness of such operations.

Caine also warned Trump that the United States was facing a critical shortage of interceptor missiles for its air defense systems. In the general’s assessment, dwindling stockpiles in the Middle East pose a serious threat to US national security.

The CIA and US military intelligence have also concluded that the strikes carried out against Iran are unlikely to force Tehran to change its negotiating position, CNN reported.