US Considers How to Curtail Iran’s Influence

Multiple US officials have told CNN that Defense Secretary James Mattis is asking planners to think about what action to take on Iran.

Discussions are taking place on how to use the US military to deter and contain Iranian activities in neighboring countries, short of a direct conflict.

The Pentagon has not commented publicly, but one official familiar with the Mattis’ thinking said, “A lot of thought is being put into Iran.”

This comes as the current US administration is trying to assemble the equivalent of an international diplomatic and economic coalition in practice, if not in name, to counter what it sees as Iran’s growing influence across the Middle East. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this week convened a meeting attended by UK, France and Germany to coordinate US-European cooperation to counter Iran through diplomatic and economic means.