FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

The request by the National Security Council, which is led by John Bolton, sparked deep concern among Pentagon and State Department officials, the newspaper reported, citing current and former US officials. The Pentagon complied with the request, but it is not known whether the options for an Iran strike were also provided to the White House or if President Donald Trump knew about it. The decision to seek options striking Iran was prompted by an incident in September in which three mortars were fired into a diplomatic quarter in Baghdad, the newspaper said.

The shells landed in an open lot and no one was hurt. Two days later, unidentified militants fired three rockets that hit close to the US consulate in the southern city of Basra but caused no serious damage. The State Department did not comment on the report. The Pentagon said it provides the president options for a variety of threats.

John Bolton heads up the United States' National Security Council

Donald Trump clashed furiously with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last year

NSC spokesman Garrett Marquis, said the NSC does the same and it will continue to consider "the full range of options" after the attacks. Tensions between the US and Iran have risen significantly ever since Donald Trump’s election as President. Mr Trump earlier last year announced his decision to pull his country out of the Joint Plan of Comprehensive Action (JPCOA) agreement aimed at preventing Iran developing nuclear weapons. His Iranian opposite number Hassan Rouhani responded by suggesting a war between the two countries would be “the mother of all conflicts”, prompting Mr Trump to fire off a furious tweet in capital letters.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has branded Mr Rouhani's regime a "mafia"

In it, he said: ”To Iranian President Rouhani: never, ever, threatens the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before. “We are no longer a country that will stand for your demented words of violence & death. Be cautious.” Tehran is also believed to be unhappy at comments made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in which he branded Mr Rouhani’s regime a “mafia”. He also appeared to encourage anti-Government demonstrations within the Islamic republic.