US Vice President JD Vance and the nation's top military general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, urged President Donald Trump to avoid a significant escalation in the war with Iran during a high-stakes meeting on Friday. According to reports, the military leadership cautioned against returning to full-scale combat, warning that such a move would likely lead to massive civilian casualties and increase the risk of a wider regional conflict.
Gen. Caine specifically briefed the President on a current shortage of munitions and cautioned both Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that a dwindling supply of air defence interceptors could leave American personnel and regional allies vulnerable to retaliation. Officials also expressed concerns to the President regarding his threats to target civilian infrastructure, including power plants, roads, and bridges, noting that such actions could leave millions of Iranians without access to food or electricity. Additional risks presented during the meeting included the potential for a massive refugee crisis and the possibility of Iranian retaliation against energy and desalination infrastructure in the Gulf.
CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper provided an assessment to the White House indicating that two weeks of intensive strikes in the Strait of Hormuz area had significantly degraded Iran's capability to target commercial vessels. Sources noted that Cooper argued the designated bombing targets were mostly exhausted, suggesting that further strikes would serve no strategic purpose without escalating into full-scale war. This military assessment was instrumental in President Trump’s decision on Friday to suspend operations.
Following two weeks of sustained bombardment, the region experienced a second consecutive night without reported US or Iranian strikes. According to tracking by Anadolu, no explosions or air raids were recorded across Iran overnight into Sunday. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz stated that President Trump is allowing some space for diplomatic discussions. This follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran in June, which included a ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, aimed at facilitating negotiations to end the conflict.
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Md. Kazi Bijoy is a dedicated tech enthusiast and content creator with a passion for digital innovation. With years of experience in the tech industry, he specializes in breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand guides. When he isn’t writing, he explores the latest gadgets and researches emerging trends in the digital world.