The Daily Populous Sunday July 26th, 2026 evening edition
Authored by ynetnews.com and submitted by Force_Hammer

U.S. President Donald Trump has put aside, at least for now, plans to sharply intensify the U.S. military campaign against Iran after senior advisers warned that a broader war could dangerously deplete American air defense stocks in the Middle East.

A central concern was the Pentagon’s diminishing supply of Patriot antimissile interceptors and other defensive munitions, according to administration officials familiar with the internal deliberations.

Gallery U.S. President Donald Trump ( Photo: AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr. )

Trump and his advisers were also weighing the possibility of a wider regional war, damage to relations with vulnerable Gulf allies, further pressure on the global economy and worsening energy and refugee crises.

The decision followed a Friday meeting between Trump, senior advisers and leading members of his Cabinet, according to two people briefed on the discussion.

Only a small number of people in Trump’s inner circle, if any, believed that launching a significantly larger military campaign would be wise, the two people said.

The Pentagon’s reduced inventory of air defense munitions was at the center of the closed-door discussions.

American forces have faced repeated Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks against bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates over the past two weeks.

US military strikes Iran for 13th consecutive night ( Video: CENTCOM )

Three U.S. soldiers were killed in Jordan last Friday after a ballistic missile penetrated American air defenses during an Iranian barrage of missiles and drones, a senior U.S. official said.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, privately advised that renewed large-scale combat against Iran was militarily feasible but could dangerously reduce the number of interceptors available to U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East.

A spokesman for Caine declined to comment on the general’s advice to the president.

The United States had already fired more than 1,200 Patriot interceptors during the war by late April, according to internal Pentagon estimates and congressional officials. Each missile costs more than $4 million.

Inventories were already considered worryingly low at the time and have deteriorated further since then, military officials said.

A major U.S. attack would likely have triggered a more intense Iranian response against American forces and Washington’s regional allies, placing additional strain on air defenses.

Trump had publicly suggested shortly before Friday’s meeting that the military was prepared to launch heavier attacks while negotiations with Tehran continued.

“Look, we’re locked and loaded,” Trump told reporters on Friday afternoon. “We’re ready to go, but we’re talking to them, so maybe there will be, maybe there won’t be a tipping point.”

In an interview with Axios on Thursday, he said: “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it.”

The Pentagon had rushed additional forces, weapons and supplies into the Middle East in preparation for a possible escalation.

US fighter jets over the Arabian Sea ( Photo: AFP PHOTO / US NAVY / NAVCENT PUBLIC AFFAIRS )

Several military commanders and Pentagon officials had believed earlier in the week that Trump was leaning toward approving the opening stage of a multistep bombing campaign.

The plan included attacks on Iranian coastal radar systems, anti-ship missile launchers, small attack boats and other sites the Pentagon says were involved in strikes on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Broader attacks on energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, including the facility known as Pickaxe Mountain, were also under consideration.

The U.S. military has already damaged or destroyed a growing number of Iranian railway bridges. Although civilians use the bridges, Washington says they also enable Iranian forces to move equipment and supplies toward the southern coast and the Strait of Hormuz.

By late Friday, however, Trump appeared to have temporarily shelved the broader operation, at least partly because of military assessments that the defensive cost could be too high.

First lull after 13 nights of strikes

U.S. forces did not announce overnight attacks on Iran on Saturday after 13 consecutive nights of strikes, marking the first apparent reduction in direct fighting between the countries in two weeks.

Regional tensions nevertheless remained high as fighting intensified in Yemen between Saudi-backed forces and Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.

Trump has been weighing how to proceed in a war that has lasted nearly five months and how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to normal shipping.

Fuel prices have risen again following the return of hostilities over the past two weeks, while diplomatic efforts have stalled.

The latest extensive U.S. strikes also appear to have failed to deter Iran militarily.

One senior U.S. official questioned whether another major campaign would force Tehran back into negotiations.

The official said renewed attacks could produce the opposite result by uniting Iran’s political and military leadership around an external threat and diverting public attention from internal problems.

White House communications director Steven Cheung said Trump has “always been consistent in saying he prefers a diplomatic solution, but he continues to retain all options if Iran continues terrorist activities in the Straight of Hormuz or against allies.”

He added that after crippling sanctions and repeated attacks, “it would be wise for Iran to work towards a negotiated deal; otherwise, they know what will happen.”

Several Trump advisers, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, have argued for a less dangerous course based on continued negotiations and sustained economic pressure.

It remains unclear whether any direct talks are underway or whether negotiators could overcome internal divisions in Iran over pursuing an agreement with Washington.

A fragile cease-fire and a memorandum of understanding designed to return the United States and Iran to negotiations over a longer-term denuclearization agreement have collapsed.

Iran resumed some oil exports after the memorandum was signed in mid-June, mainly to China. Much of that oil is only now reaching its destination, meaning renewed economic pressure may take time to have an effect.

A reimposed U.S. naval blockade targeting vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports has produced mixed results, analysts said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that China had reduced purchases of Iranian crude oil by approximately 40% in recent months, significantly cutting Tehran’s oil revenue.

On Friday, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on nine companies and four people connected to the business network of sanctioned Iranian financier Babak Zanjani.

Although the broader bombing plan has been paused, the White House maintains that military action remains an option.

TheChainsawVigilante on July 26th, 2026 at 00:40 UTC »

But can't we just overpower them with our sheer testosterone ...??

Sufficient-Yellow637 on July 26th, 2026 at 00:24 UTC »

Sounds like a fact you'd want to keep close to the vest.

Any_Parsnip2585 on July 26th, 2026 at 00:22 UTC »

It’s not even Tuesday