Cooper Advised Halting Hormuz Bombing as Limits Reached
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- Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, recommended stopping the Strait of Hormuz bombing campaign because it had reached the limit of its effectiveness, according to two sources with knowledge of his position.
- Trump ordered the military to hold fire on Friday for the first time in two weeks; the sources said his mindset started shifting Thursday evening, and the pause followed a meeting where a new strike plan was presented.
- Cooper told the Pentagon, joint chiefs, and White House that two weeks of strikes had significantly degraded Iran's ability to attack ships and that designated bombing targets were mostly exhausted.
- Cooper identified resuming major combat operations to strike the remaining 20% of targets designated but not struck during Operation Epic Fury as a possible next step, but said there was no point in continuing the current campaign without that decision.
- Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, privately warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump that a shortage of air defense interceptors could hamper the ability to protect U.S. forces and allies in the region.
- Iran and Oman are still negotiating a new arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for ship transit with no attacks, though it remains unclear whether such a deal would be acceptable to Trump.
- The U.S. and U.K. are still discussing an international conference to convene later this week on establishing a coalition to protect and clear mines from the strait; no final date has been set.
Why it matters: Trump's pause reflects an explicit military admission that the two-week air campaign has hit its ceiling: 20% of designated targets from Operation Epic Fury remain untouched, and the Joint Chiefs chair warned air defense interceptors are running short. The next move hinges on whether Iran-Oman talks produce a deal Trump will accept; if not, the war could escalate back to major combat operations against the unfinished target list.
