The US has been prepping strike packages against Pickaxe Mountain and other Iranian sites believed to house nuclear material or equipment, but sources told CNN even the most powerful of conventional weapons may not fully destroy the deeply-buried facilities.

Any attempt to eliminate them completely would likely require ground troops – an option Trump has been reluctant to pursue because of the military and political risks involved, the sources said.

‘Fireworks’ strike among options under consideration

Citing an another source, CNN reported that Trump has also been considering a limited military strike resembling a “fireworks” display, one that would target the same or similar sites hit previously in an attempt to claim a symbolic victory.

This would mean Trump exits the war without fully achieving one of his original objectives – dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme.

However, such an operation would be unlikely to resolve what has emerged as the central issue in the conflict –Iran’s claims over the Strait of Hormuz, the sources added. “At the end of the day, POTUS will want a deal, so he’ll continually look for ways to get tough and get out of this,” one of the sources was quoted as saying by CNN.

US intelligence doubts bombing alone will force Iran to negotiate

CNN had earlier reported that both the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) had assessed that the ongoing US bombing campaign was unlikely to alter Iran’s negotiating position.

The report also noted that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine has publicly acknowledged that air strikes alone are unlikely to accomplish all of Trump’s stated objectives. “Air power has its limits,” Caine told lawmakers last month.

Trump has so far held back from approving broader military options amid concerns over dwindling air-defence interceptor stocks, the risk of high civilian casualties and the possibility of deploying US ground troops, the American broadcaster had reported.