“Some senior American officials said the plans, even at a very preliminary stage, show how dangerous the threat from Iran has become. Others, who are urging a diplomatic resolution to the current tensions, said it amounts to a scare tactic to warn Iran against new aggressions.” NYT: White House Reviews Military Plans Against Iran, in Echoes of Iraq War. “Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan presented an updated military plan that envisions sending as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East should Iran attack American forces or accelerate work on nuclear weapons.”

+ BBC: US ‘blames Iran’ for damage to tankers in Gulf of Oman.