The US abruptly halted its bombing campaign on Friday after nearly two weeks of continuous attacks around the Strait of Hormuz and repeated warnings from President Donald Trump that military action could escalate. According to multiple reports, the decision was driven less by diplomacy than by a reassessment within the White House and the Pentagon of what further strikes could realistically accomplish.The turning point came when Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), advised senior officials that the operation had effectively met its immediate objectives and had reached the limits of its usefulness, Axios reported. His assessment, shared with the Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff and the White House earlier in the week, was one of the factors that influenced Trump’s decision to halt the strikes.
Army said most of the targets have been achieved
Cooper reportedly concluded that the two-week operation had significantly reduced Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz. He also assessed that the list of planned targets had been largely exhausted, rendering it of no strategic value to continue the current air campaign.According to the assessment, the only meaningful military option left would have been a return to large-scale combat operations aimed at destroying the remaining targets identified during Operation Epic Fury. Without such an increase, Cooper reportedly argued, there was no reason to continue the pattern of attacks conducted over the previous fortnight.
Trump changed his stance after high level meeting
Trump, as late as last week, was leaning toward escalating military operations against Iran. However, after meeting with senior military commanders and national security advisers on Friday, he directed US forces to suspend strikes targeting Iran’s southern coastline and the Strait of Hormuz.The pause was the first in a bombing campaign that began two weeks earlier. Sources familiar with the discussions said Trump’s thinking had begun to change on Thursday evening before the decision was finalized the next day.
Another warning: air defense reserves
The military review reportedly included another concern beyond the effectiveness of the strikes.General Dan Kaine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is said to have privately warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump that the dwindling stock of air defense interceptors could impact America’s ability to defend its forces and regional allies if the conflict escalates further.Although officials declined to discuss confidential military advice, the warning underlined the military pressure the US faces as the conflict continues.
Diplomacy gets another start
The military pause coincides with new diplomatic efforts. Iran and Oman are continuing to discuss a possible arrangement that would allow ships to resume transit through the Strait of Hormuz without attack, though it is unclear whether an agreement would satisfy Washington.At the moment, the conflict has entered what US officials have described as a “calm down” phase, with both sides refraining from new attacks.U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on NBC’s Meet the Press that Trump was “putting all options on the table” as well as “leaving some room for negotiation (with Iran).” Waltz said discussions between Washington and Tehran “continue at every level.”