Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, reportedly told the New York Times that the ongoing bombing campaign in the Strait of Hormuz has exhausted its effectiveness and should be halted unless President Trump intends to expand the war against Iran. The report, cited by N12 journalist Asaf Rozentzweig, comes days after Cooper was said to have recommended ending the campaign to the administration.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, has told the New York Times that the ongoing US bombing campaign in the Strait of Hormuz has exhausted its effectiveness and should be halted unless President Trump intends to expand the war against Iran, according to a report cited by N12 journalist Asaf Rozentzweig.
The statement represents the most explicit public call by a top US commander to end the nearly two-week-long campaign of daily strikes against Iranian military targets. Cooper reportedly argued that the current operational tempo has already achieved its maximum military effect and that continuing without a broader strategic objective would be counterproductive.
The comments come hours after The Zioneer reported, based on a Wall Street Journal article, that Cooper had drafted a 10-14 day intensive strike plan designed to degrade Iranian missile capabilities while conserving the US military's dwindling interceptor stock. That report also noted that Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Kaine had expressed reservations about resuming hostilities on a larger scale.
Cooper's latest remarks appear to go further, calling for a cessation of the current campaign altogether unless the president decides to escalate. The White House has not yet responded to the NYT report.
- StrongCENTCOM commander says Strait of Hormuz bombing campaign has 'exhausted itself'
- StrongCENTCOM completes 13th straight night of strikes on Iran, hitting command centers and UAV depots
- DevelopingCENTCOM working to increase Strait of Hormuz traffic volume in coming days
- DevelopingRetired US colonels urge Trump to strike Iran harder, target infrastructure
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Open-source intake