US Central Command Chief Suggests Halting Bombing in the Hormuz Region

On July 26 local time, two sources revealed that U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper suggested halting bombing operations around the Strait of Hormuz, as the operation had reached its effectiveness limit. The sources stated that Cooper's and other advisors' recommendations influenced President Trump's decision on the 24th to pause U.S. strikes against Iran. Both Trump's military and civilian advisors acknowledged that the objectives achievable through military action, particularly air power operations, are limited.

The sources indicated that Trump ordered a ceasefire for the military for the first time in two weeks, a decision made after meetings with senior advisors and military officials. In the days leading up to the meeting, Trump had been inclined to return to major combat operations, but his mindset began to change on the evening of the 23rd, and the decision to halt bombing in the strait was solidified on the 24th.

Sources stated that earlier this week, Cooper presented his recommendations to the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the White House. He emphasized that the two-week airstrikes in the Strait of Hormuz region had significantly weakened Iran's ability to attack vessels. Cooper pointed out that the designated bombing targets had essentially been destroyed. Continuing the bombing operations from the previous two weeks without a decision to resume large-scale combat operations would be meaningless.

Cooper emphasized that the next possible step could be to resume large-scale combat operations to complete the remaining 20% of unstruck targets in the U.S. military's "Operation Epic Fury." (CCTV reporter Zhu Lei)