On July 26 local time, the American political news website AXIOS cited two sources who said that Brad Cooper, the US military commander at the highest level in the Middle East and the commander of the Central Command, suggested stopping bombing operations in the Gulf of Hormuz. The reason given was that such operations had reached their limits in terms of effectiveness.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Cooper’s recommendations, along with those of other military and civilian advisors, played a role in President Trump’s decision to suspend air strikes against Iran on the 24th. This was the first time in nearly two weeks that Trump ordered the U.S. military to cease attacks on Iranian targets. Previously, the U.S. military had been conducting air strikes in southern Iranian coastal areas and around the Strait of Hormuz.
AXIOS states that this suggestion means that advisors to the US President both in military and civilian roles all acknowledge that military means, particularly those relying on aerial strikes, have real limitations and cannot achieve unlimited objectives.
According to sources, a few days before meeting with senior advisors and military officials, Trump initially favored resuming large-scale military operations. However, his attitude changed starting from the evening of the 23rd, and he ultimately decided on the 24th to slow down the bombing operations against the Strait of Hormuz.
According to reports, earlier last week, Cooper submitted recommendations for next steps to the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the White House. He believes that the military operations carried out by the US forces in the Hormuz Strait region over the past two weeks have ‘significantly weakened’ Iran’s ability to attack ships.
Cooper emphasized to the US decision-making level that the bombing targets previously determined by the US military have been "virtually destroyed." Without deciding to resume large-scale combat operations, continuing the bombing operations for the past two weeks is "meaningless."
Additionally, CNN quoted an insider and a U.S. official as stating that when Trump weighed the possibility of escalating military tensions with Iran during a meeting at the White House on July 24, both Vice President Wilson and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine expressed concerns.
The US newspaper The New York Times reported on the 25th that senior US government officials are particularly worried that further intensification of the conflict will lead to an excessive consumption of the 'Patriot' anti-missile interceptors and other air defense munitions deployed by the US Department of Defense in the Middle East. These air defense weapons are already in short supply, increasing the risk faced by the US military in the event of Iranian retaliation.
Reports quoted US officials as stating that the urgent need to replenish the stock of interceptor missiles is just one of many considerations. Reintroducing large-scale military operations themselves carries significant risks. Trump and his key advisors also worry that if the Middle Eastern conflict worsens, it could lead to retaliation from Iran against US Gulf allies, damaging relations between the United States and these allies. This, in turn, would place additional pressure on the global economy, energy supplies, and refugee issues.
