Trump halts Strait of Hormuz strikes after US Central Command chief warns of diminishing returns

The commander of US Central Command, who oversees military operations against Iran, recommended halting airstrikes around the Strait of Hormuz after concluding that their military effectiveness had in effect reached its limits — an assessment that influenced Donald Trump's decision to pause the campaign, according to sources.

Axios reported Monday, citing multiple sources, that Gen. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, recently delivered that recommendation to the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the White House.

The outlet said the recommendation amounted to an acknowledgment by the military and White House staff that airpower-centered operations alone had a ceiling on what they could achieve.

Cooper concluded that roughly two weeks of strikes around the Strait of Hormuz had significantly degraded Iran's ability to attack ships, and that US forces had completed strikes on most of the priority targets selected in advance.

He said a large-scale resumption of operations was possible — specifically targeting the roughly 20 percent of designated objectives under Operation Epic Fury that had not yet been struck.

However, sources said Cooper made clear that continuing strikes at the same pace as the previous two weeks, without a full-scale resumption, would offer little additional military benefit.

According to sources, Trump ordered the military Friday to pause airstrikes around the Strait of Hormuz after receiving a briefing from senior advisers and military leaders on the direction of future operations.

He had been leaning toward resuming large-scale combat before the meeting, but sources said his thinking began to shift Thursday evening.

Axios also reported that Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, privately warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump that a shortage of air defense interceptor missiles could undermine the defensive capabilities of US forces and allies stationed in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, diplomatic negotiations aimed at easing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are continuing.

Iran and Oman are in ongoing talks over a new framework to guarantee safe passage of vessels through the strait.

However, it remains uncertain whether any agreement between the two countries would be accepted by Trump.