US Halts Iran Bombing Campaign Amid Strait of Hormuz Standoff

President Donald Trump suspended a 13‑day U.S. bombing campaign against Iran after senior CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper warned that strike targets around the Strait of Hormuz were largely exhausted. The pause comes as U.S. missile stocks dwindled, with more than 1,000 Tomahawk and 1,100 JASSM cruise missiles fired and roughly half of the Patriot interceptor inventory used. The costly strikes have inflicted significant damage on Iranian infrastructure but have not stopped Tehran from maintaining missile and drone capabilities that keep the strategic waterway effectively closed to commercial traffic.

European allies, notably the United Kingdom and France, have declined to join a naval coalition in the strait without a lasting ceasefire, prompting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to seek their leadership while facing skepticism. Meanwhile, Houthi rebels have expanded their blockade actions into the Red Sea, further threatening regional shipping. The broader diplomatic effort aims to secure a cease‑fire as the war’s unpopularity rises in the United States ahead of midterm elections.