New Delhi, July 15 -- US President Donald Trump convened a Situation Room meeting on Tuesday (July 14) to discuss plans for a broader military offensive against Iran that would extend beyond the current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported, citing three sources familiar with the discussions.

According to the report, Trump appears willing to escalate the conflict in an effort to inflict enough damage on Iran to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept US demands on its nuclear programme.

The meeting came as the US military carried out strikes for a fourth consecutive day against targets in and around the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's southern coastline. US officials told Axios the operations primarily targeted ...