Yasin Gungor
26 July 2026•Update: 27 July 2026
US Vice President JD Vance and the nation's top military general urged President Donald Trump to avoid a major escalation in the war with Iran during a high-stakes meeting Friday, according to CNN.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Trump about a munitions stockpile shortage but said that US forces could pursue several options and succeed while warning about the potential consequences, a source familiar with the matter told the news outlet. He joined Vance in cautioning against a return to full-scale combat.
Trump dismissed concerns over shrinking ammunition stockpiles, telling The Wall Street Journal that the US has "far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need.”
The military leadership also warned that resuming major combat operations would likely result in massive civilian casualties and risks of regional escalation, according to CNN.
Officials reportedly cautioned Trump that his threats to target civilian infrastructure including roads, bridges and power plants could leave millions of Iranians to suffer without electricity or food.
The broad range of concerns presented during the Friday meeting also included the potential for a massive refugee crisis and Iranian retaliation against Gulf energy and desalination infrastructure.
CENTCOM chief advised halt to Iran strikes due to 'exhausted' targets
The US military leadership advised pausing the bombardment of Iran after concluding that the current air campaign had achieved its immediate goals and was no longer producing operational results, the Axios news site reported Sunday.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Brad Cooper reportedly informed the White House that two weeks of intensive strikes in the Strait of Hormuz area had “significantly degraded” Iran’s ability to target commercial vessels. Sources indicated that Cooper noted that the designated bombing targets were "mostly exhausted," arguing that continuing the strikes would serve no strategic purpose without a major escalation into full-scale combat.
The military assessment played a critical role in Trump’s decision Friday to suspend operations. Caine warned him and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that a dwindling supply of air defense interceptors could leave American personnel and regional allies exposed to retaliation.
CENTCOM declined to comment on the internal briefing, Axios said.
A second consecutive night passed without reported US or Iranian strikes after two weeks of sustained bombardment. No explosions or US air raids were recorded across Iran overnight into Sunday, according to tracking by Anadolu of developments after the previous night also passed without announced strikes.
Trump is allowing "some space" for diplomatic discussions with Iran, according to the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz.
In June, the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding that included a ceasefire following Qatari and Pakistani mediation, paving the way for negotiations on a final agreement to end the conflict.
