President Trump has ordered a freeze on expanding the military campaign against Iran, citing a shortage of interceptors, i24NEWS reports. The White House stressed that 'all options remain on the table.'
The White House on Saturday stated that all options remain on the table regarding Iran, following reports that President Trump had frozen the expansion of the military campaign. The clarification came as multiple news outlets reported that the freeze was driven by a shortage of interceptor missiles, with the White House emphasizing that the pause is tactical and not a full de-escalation.
The reports emerged around 20:10 Jerusalem on Saturday. Initial reports indicated a freeze on escalation without specifying reasons. Shortly after, The New York Times reported that the decision was driven by low interceptor stockpiles, and that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine had secretly warned the administration that renewed fighting would dangerously deplete Patriot interceptor stocks. Israeli media then reported a freeze on a major escalation. i24NEWS reported that Trump had frozen the expansion of operations due to the shortage. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung confirmed to Fox News that all options remain on the table, while preferring a diplomatic solution. Later, a source claimed that Trump personally called off a strike after learning of the shortage in a conversation with Vice President Vance and Chief of Staff Kane.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the US campaign: on June 11, Trump announced that strikes would be "larger and more powerful"; on July 8, he warned of potential new strikes; on July 11, sources reported preparations for a large-scale strike with over 1,000 Tomahawk missiles; and on July 25, Axios reported that Trump had ordered a halt to strikes on Friday.
The source claim about Trump's conversation with Vance and Kane remains unverified. The White House has not confirmed the details of any internal discussions. Whether the freeze represents a permanent shift in strategy or a temporary pause awaits further developments.
12 developments
- StrongTrump reviewed full-scale war option with Iran but decided against it for now, WSJ reports
- StrongTrump ordered halt to US strikes on Iran for two weeks, Axios reports
- ConfirmedTrump discussed a short but extensive military operation in Iran, the White House weighs short-duration campaign
- DevelopingAnalysis: Iran plays for time, Trump prepares battlefield for a larger campaign
Source and signal
- Open-source intake