Vice President JD Vance and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine reportedly raised concerns about escalating the war in Iran during a White House meeting on Friday, according to a source familiar with the matter and a US official who spoke to CNN. President Donald Trump was said to be weighing the possibility of a wider military campaign at the time.
The US appeared to pause its bombing campaign on Iran on Friday night, after nearly two weeks of consecutive nightly strikes. A Department of Defense source told CNN on Saturday that operations were “on a hold.”
According to the sources, Caine specifically raised concerns during the Friday meeting about the US munitions stockpile, along with other potential negative outcomes. One of the sources said Caine told Trump and the US military that they could carry out the available options and likely succeed, but he reportedly followed that by warning of the possible consequences.
Reasons behind the pause remain unclear
The stockpile concern was reportedly one of several issues raised with Trump during the meeting, according to both sources. It is not currently clear whether the stockpile warning or broader concerns about escalation played the main role in the decision to pause the nightly strikes, or whether the pause will continue going forward.
Vance’s own doubts about the war are said to run deeper than this single meeting, and other reporting has suggested he has been privately questioning the Pentagon’s account of how the war is actually going.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung addressed the matter in a statement, saying, “President 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 (Strait) of Hormuz or against allies.”
Cheung added, “Combined with successful sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy and 13 straight days of strikes against military targets in response to their repeated aggression, it would be wise for Iran to work towards a negotiated deal. Otherwise, they know what will happen.”
The concerns raised at the meeting come as key US weapons stockpiles remain significantly depleted, according to CNN’s prior reporting. Those stockpiles could come under further pressure if strikes on Iran continue.
Speaking to reporters after the Friday meeting with Cabinet members and top advisers, Trump said that US officials were actively negotiating with Iran. He also said it was possible the military could continue its bombing campaign or, as he put it, “make it a heavier dose.” Trump claimed that Iran seemed to be getting “more serious” in the ongoing talks, though this characterization was his own.
As of Friday afternoon, the Trump administration was reportedly still deliberating over what a potential escalation would look like, according to a source familiar with the matter. Gulf countries have urged restraint in recent conversations with administration officials, while also acknowledging that the US has unique capabilities it could use to escalate the conflict if it chooses to, the source said.
Even after Trump said earlier in the week that he was considering a massive attack against Iran, he had privately directed his negotiators to “keep talking,” according to a source familiar with the matter.
This underscores how the president has been weighing the limits of military options that fall short of putting US troops on the ground. Separately, lawmakers have taken their own steps to limit those options, after the House recently voted to restrict further military action in Iran without congressional approval.
According to multiple sources, few people within Trump’s inner circle, or inside the Pentagon, reportedly believed that the president’s escalation options would produce the results he was seeking. CNN has also previously reported that before the war began, Caine and other military leaders had warned Trump that a prolonged military campaign could affect US weapons stockpiles.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell offered a different characterization in a statement to CNN, saying, “America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing.” Parnell added, “We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.”
The White House has not confirmed whether the pause in strikes reflects a longer-term shift in strategy or a temporary hold while talks with Iran continue.
Published: Jul 26, 2026 08:00 am