Top U.S. military commander in Middle East advised halting Hormuz bombing

Admiral Brad Cooper, the top commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, recommended halting the bombing campaign around the Strait of Hormuz because it has reached the limit of its effectiveness, according to Axios. Cooper told the Pentagon and White House that two weeks of strikes had significantly degraded Iran's ability to attack ships and that designated targets were mostly exhausted. On Friday, President Trump acted on Cooper's assessment, ordering a pause in strikes and reversing his earlier inclination to continue combat operations. Both sides are now in a de facto ceasefire as Iran and Oman negotiate reopening the strait for shipping, with the U.S. and U.K. planning an international conference on protecting the waterway.

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