After nearly two weeks of sustained attacks around the Strait of Hormuz and repeated warnings from President Donald Trump that military action could intensify, the US abruptly paused its bombing campaign on Friday.
The decision, according to multiple reports, was driven less by diplomacy than by a reassessment inside the White House and Pentagon of what further strikes could realistically achieve.The turning point came after Adm Brad Cooper, commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), advised senior officials that the campaign had effectively accomplished its immediate objectives and had reached the limit of its usefulness, Axios reported.
His assessment, shared with the Pentagon, the joint chiefs of staff and the White House earlier in the week, was among the factors that influenced Trump's decision to halt strikes.Military said most objectives had been achievedCooper reportedly concluded that two weeks of operations 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, leaving little strategic value in continuing the existing 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.
