Top Mideast commander briefs Trump on military options on Iran

Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, who oversees troops in the Middle East as head of U.S. Central Command, briefed President Donald Trump on Thursday on potential military options in Iran, according to a person close to the president.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president's top military adviser, also was present, according to a second person familiar with the discussion.

The briefing by the top military commander in the region comes on the same day as U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program.

Neither side announced a deal had been reached. Iran's foreign minister said progress was made and that "technical talks" will resume in Vienna, Austria, next week.

Sources have told ABC News that among Trump's options is a limited strike on ballistic missile launchers and nuclear sites as a kind of warning to force Tehran to agree to Trump's demands.

Also under consideration is a major operation hitting a large number of targets over a sustained period of time, sources say.

An opening salvo on targets in Iran, led by Israel, would not only be a form of coercion in diplomatic talks. The strikes also could serve to cripple more of Iran's air defenses should Trump decide to follow up with a much more sustained military campaign aimed at toppling the regime, sources said.