Top U.S. commander urges halt to bombing campaign near Strait of Hormuz
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Axios stated that the two weeks of strikes in the Strait of Hormuz area had significantly degraded Iran's ability to attack ships (Photo: war.gov)
Commander of the U.S. Military Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper recommended stopping the bombing campaign around the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that it has reached the limit of its effectiveness, Axios, citing several sources close to the admiral’s position, reported on July 26.
The recommendation by Cooper, together with other advisers, impacted President Trump's decision on July 25 to pause U.S. strikes against targets in Iran.
“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,” Axios wrote.
Admiral Cooper stressed that the two weeks of strikes in the Strait of Hormuz area had significantly degraded Iran's ability to attack ships, according to the publication.
“Cooper noted that the designated bombing targets had been mostly exhausted,” Axios reported. “The CENTCOM commander said a possible next step would be to resume major combat operations to finish the 20% of targets the U.S. military designated but didn't strike during Operation Epic Fury.”
The U.S. military launched a massive strike against military installations in Iran on July 5, hitting over 140 targets in response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shooting down a Cypriot-flagged commercial container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM conducted a new series of airstrikes in southern Iran on July 8 in response to Iranian drone strikes on three merchant tankers.
Iran launched missile and drone strikes against Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan on July 14, claiming the attacks were retaliation for U.S. strikes.
CENTCOM announced on July 15 that the United States had resumed its naval blockade of Iran.
Iran launched an attack on Syrian territory on July 17 – its first since the Middle East war began in February 2026 – with the IRGC targeting the U.S. Special Operations Command Center in Al-Tanf, though Syrian sources reported the military base sustained no damage.
American forces destroyed several key bridges in Iran during a series of strikes on July 17, with the primary attacks targeting the city of Bandar Abbas, home to the Iranian Navy's headquarters and main base.
President Trump announced on July 22 that every time Iran attacks a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States will destroy a bridge or a power plant.
The United States began launching new strikes on Iranian military targets on the night of July 23.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine expressed concern on July 24 about an escalation of war with Iran, a possibility President Donald Trump considered during a White House meeting.
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