US President Donald Trump has decided to shelve plans for a new military offensive against Iran, after 13 days of consecutive attacks. The news was reported by The New York Times and Axios, citing US administration officials and sources familiar with the decision.
According to The New York Times, the decision was made following concerns that a further escalation of the conflict could dangerously deplete the Pentagon's stockpile of Patriot missiles and other air defense munitions deployed in the Middle East.
The decision was reportedly made after a meeting held on Friday between Trump, his top advisers and cabinet members, where the risks of continuing military operations were assessed.
On the other hand, Axios, citing two anonymous sources, writes that it remains unclear whether Trump's order to halt the attacks is a temporary measure or signals a longer-term change in US strategy towards Iran.
According to the report, the US president's decision reflects an attempt to give more space to diplomacy, but also the assessment that the current level of military operations has reached the limit of its effectiveness without a return to a large-scale combat campaign.
However, sources say that the US military is preparing alternative plans in case the situation escalates again and it becomes necessary to resume large-scale military operations.
