The US military is reportedly formulating contingency plans to target senior Iranian military leaders, including Ahmad Vahidi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), if ongoing ceasefire negotiations collapse. This development indicates a significant shift in Washington's approach towards Tehran, as the Trump administration increasingly attributes the failure of peace talks to hardline Iranian military officials. A US Defense Department official mentioned that while they cannot discuss specific plans, all military options remain available. Ahmad Vahidi, appointed as the IRGC chief on March 1, 2026, has been a prominent hardliner within Iran's security apparatus and is believed to influence military operations and negotiations. He has been wanted by Interpol since 2007 for his alleged role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which resulted in 85 deaths. The US sanctioned him in 2010 for his connections to Iran's nuclear and missile programs.