President Donald Trump has put aside, at least for now, plans to sharply expand the U.S. military campaign against Iran. The pause comes after senior military advisers warned a broader offensive could dangerously deplete American air-defense stocks in the Middle East, according to multiple reports.
The decision followed a Friday White House meeting during which Trump and his top national security advisers weighed whether to significantly escalate operations against Iran following nearly two weeks of sustained U.S. strikes.
The New York Times on Saturday, citing multiple administration officials familiar with the deliberations, reported that concerns over dwindling Patriot interceptor inventories were a central factor in the decision, alongside the risk of a broader regional conflict, increased threats to U.S. partners in the Gulf, and the administration’s continuing effort to preserve a diplomatic path.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, privately advised Trump that while the U.S. military was capable of carrying out a substantially larger campaign, doing so could significantly reduce the number of air-defense interceptors available to U.S. Central Command for protecting American forces and regional allies, according to the Times.
CNN similarly reported Saturday that Caine warned about the consequences of a wider conflict during Friday’s meeting, while Vice President JD Vance also voiced concerns about broader escalation as administration officials debated whether to expand the campaign.
The White House meeting came after Trump publicly signaled that he was prepared to escalate the conflict while continuing to leave the door open to diplomacy.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Trump said the United States was “locked and loaded” and prepared to intensify military operations if necessary, while emphasizing that negotiations with Iran remained ongoing. He also indicated that the military could continue its current campaign or deliver “a heavier dose” should circumstances warrant.
Behind the scenes, however, Trump ultimately declined to authorize another round of strikes.
According to Axios, the president had approved daily strike packages submitted by the military during the previous 13 days but broke that streak Friday by directing U.S. forces not to conduct new attacks. Even after publicly discussing the possibility of a larger military campaign, Trump privately instructed his negotiators to continue talks with Tehran, according to CNN and Axios, while military options remained available.
The pause also reflected broader skepticism inside the administration, with both the Times and CNN reporting that few within Trump’s inner circle believed a return to major combat operations would achieve the president’s objectives. Although the pause marked the first break in 13 days of consecutive strikes, U.S. officials said the military continues preparing contingency plans should Trump decide to escalate operations.
The concerns raised during Friday’s meeting came after days of reporting that the pace of U.S. operations had placed increasing pressure on key air-defense and precision-guided munitions.
CBS News reported earlier in the week that senior military and civilian officials were increasingly concerned that Patriot, THAAD and other interceptor inventories could not be replenished quickly enough while also preserving readiness for other potential conflicts, including in the Indo-Pacific.
Despite pausing broader strikes, the Trump administration has maintained pressure on Iran across multiple fronts.
U.S. Central Command announced Saturday that the U.S. naval blockade against Iran remains fully in effect, reporting that American forces have redirected 12 commercial vessels attempting to reach Iran, disabled two that failed to comply with repeated warnings, and conducted verification boardings of two others, including the Comoros-flagged tanker M/T Charminar. CENTCOM also said U.S. forces disabled the Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine after its crew repeatedly attempted to violate the blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
The continued military posture has coincided with ongoing diplomatic efforts.
According to Axios, an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday as negotiations continued over a new arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with regional sources telling the outlet that progress had been made and an agreement could be reached over the weekend. Trump has continued to publicly express a preference for reaching a negotiated settlement even while warning that significantly larger military operations remain available if diplomacy fails.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the president “has always been consistent in saying he prefers a diplomatic solution, but he continues to retain all options if Iran continues terrorist activities in the Strait of Hormuz or against allies.”
Cheung added that after enduring crippling sanctions and nearly two weeks of U.S. strikes, “it would be wise for Iran to work towards a negotiated deal. Otherwise, they know what will happen.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell likewise pushed back on concerns over U.S. military readiness, saying America’s armed forces “have everything” required to carry out any mission ordered by the president while maintaining the capabilities necessary to protect U.S. personnel and interests around the world.
For now, Trump’s reported decision to halt another round of strikes leaves the administration pursuing military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Tehran while continuing to test whether negotiations can produce an agreement. At the same time, administration officials have emphasized that the president retains the option of ordering broader military operations should diplomacy fail or Iran escalate attacks against U.S. forces or regional allies.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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