The top US military commander in the Middle East, Adm. Brad Cooper, recommended stopping the bombing campaign around the Strait of Hormuz because it has reached the limit of its effectiveness, according to two sources with knowledge of his position, Report informs, citing Axios.
“The recommendation by Cooper, the commander of the US Military Central Command (CENTCOM), together with other advisers, impacted President Trump’s decision on Friday to pause US strikes against Iran, the sources said.
It was an acknowledgement by both military and civilian advisers to the president that there are limits to what can be accomplished through military action, and specifically an air power campaign,” the outlet noted.
For the first time in two weeks, Trump ordered the military to hold fire and not conduct strikes against Iranian targets around the southern coast of Iran and in the Strait of Hormuz area.
The decision came after a meeting with top advisers and military officials who presented him with a new strike plan for the day.
In the days before the meeting, Trump had been leaning toward returning to major combat operations, but his mindset started to change on Thursday evening, sources said.
His decision to pump the brakes on bombing the strait solidified on Friday.
Earlier in the week, Admiral Cooper gave his recommendation on the way forward to the Pentagon, the joint chiefs and the White House, the sources said.
He stressed that the two weeks of strikes in the Strait of Hormuz area had significantly degraded Iran’s ability to attack ships.
Cooper noted that the designated bombing targets had been mostly exhausted.
The CENTCOM commander said a possible next step would be to resume major combat operations to finish the 20% of targets the US military designated but didn’t strike during Operation Epic Fury.
Absent a decision to return to major combat operations, he stressed there was no point in continuing the bombing campaign of the previous two weeks, the sources said.
The sources said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine also cautioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump in private that a shortage of air defense interceptors could hamper the ability to protect US forces and allies in the region.
US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that while Trump is “keeping all options on the table,” the president is also “giving talks [with Iran] some space.”
Waltz said talks between the US and Iran “are ongoing on every level.”