The commander of United States forces in West Asia advised the Trump administration to suspend its bombing near the Strait of Hormuz after concluding that continued strikes were unlikely to produce significant additional military gains, Axios reported.

Citing two sources familiar with the matter, the outlet said CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper delivered the assessment to the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the White House earlier this week.

His recommendation reportedly contributed to US President Donald Trump’s decision on Friday to halt attacks along the country’s southern coastline and around the strategic waterway.

The pause marked the first day in two weeks that US forces did not conduct strikes in the area.

Limited campaign reaches diminishing returns

According to the report, Cooper assessed that two weeks of US bombardment had damaged Iran’s capacity to attack vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

However, he also warned that most of the targets assigned to the limited campaign had already been struck, leaving few objectives whose destruction would not materially alter the situation.

Cooper reportedly told senior officials that maintaining the same scale of attacks would serve little military purpose unless Trump was prepared to authorize a return to broader combat operations.

Such an escalation could involve attacking the remaining 20% of targets identified by the US military but left untouched during Operation Epic Fury.

Air power hit limit

Absent approval for a wider offensive, Cooper concluded that there was no justification for continuing the more restricted campaign carried out over the previous two weeks.

CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins declined to comment on the report.

Trump had reportedly been considering a renewed escalation earlier in the week. His position began shifting on Thursday evening before he decided the following day not to approve a new strike plan presented by military officials and senior advisers.

The recommendation reflected growing recognition among Trump’s military and civilian advisors that air power alone had reached the limits of what it could achieve against Iran.

US air defenses under pressure

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine also reportedly raised concerns about Washington’s ability to protect its military bases and regional allies if the confrontation intensified.

Caine warned Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth that shortages of air-defense interceptors could restrict the US military’s capacity to respond to further Iranian retaliatory operations.

A spokesperson for Caine declined to comment “on confidential military advice the Chairman provides the President."

The reported warning highlights the pressure placed on US missile-defense inventories during the confrontation, as Washington attempts to protect its forces while sustaining offensive operations against Iran.

Talks seek arrangement for Hormuz

The military pause comes as Iran and Oman continue negotiations over a possible arrangement concerning the Strait of Hormuz.

The discussions are reportedly intended to establish conditions under which commercial vessels could resume passage through the waterway without being attacked.

It remains uncertain whether any understanding reached by Tehran and Muscat would receive Trump’s approval.

'Quiet for quiet'

For the moment, the situation has reportedly shifted toward “quiet for quiet," with both Iran and the United States refraining from launching new attacks.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Sunday that Trump was “keeping all options on the table” while “giving talks [with Iran] some space.”

Waltz also claimed that discussions between Washington and Tehran “are ongoing on every level.”

The United States and Britain are separately discussing an international conference aimed at forming a coalition to protect shipping and remove mines from the Strait of Hormuz.

No final date has been announced for the proposed meeting.

Despite the temporary pause, the prospect of renewed escalation remains, particularly if negotiations fail or Washington rejects the emerging proposal for reopening the strategic waterway.

Read more: Iran, Oman hold talks on Strait of Hormuz management, diplomacy