The Pentagon acknowledges that U.S. strikes on Iran have, at this stage, reached the limit of their effectiveness. Axios reported this, citing sources.

According to them, the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, “recommended halting the bombings in the area of the Strait of Hormuz because they had reached the limit of their effectiveness.” As the outlet notes, Cooper’s recommendation and that of a number of representatives of the U.S. administration “influenced President [Donald] Trump’s decision to suspend strikes on Iran.” “This amounted to an acknowledgment by the president’s advisers, both military and civilian, that there are limits to what can be achieved through military action, and especially through airstrikes,” the outlet notes.

According to Axios, the head of CENTCOM “considers it possible to return to a large-scale military operation, which would make it possible to strike the remaining 20% of the targets designated by the United States” in Iran. “He emphasized that in the absence of a decision to resume a large-scale military operation, continuing the bombing campaign of the past two weeks makes no sense,” the outlet writes. According to its sources, if Trump does not accept the agreement on opening the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran and Oman are working on, “an escalation of the war is possible.”

Earlier, U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN Mike Waltz, speaking on CBS News in response to a question about the reasons for suspending American strikes on Iran, outlined the position that Trump had made the decision “to give diplomacy room and some time.” Axios had previously noted that on Friday an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran for talks on a new agreement on opening the Strait of Hormuz. According to its information, agreements may be reached over the weekend.