US Vice President JD Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine urged caution over escalating the conflict with Iran during a White House meeting chaired by President Donald Trump, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
According to the report, Caine warned that while the US military was capable of carrying out additional operations successfully, expanding the campaign could significantly deplete America's weapons stockpiles and increase the risk of a prolonged regional war.
The concerns were raised during a meeting on Friday attended by Trump, Cabinet members and senior national security officials.
The report comes after the US appeared to pause its bombing campaign against Iran following nearly two weeks of consecutive nightly strikes. A Department of Defense source told CNN that military operations were currently "on hold."
However, it remains unclear whether concerns over munitions stockpiles and the risks of escalation were the primary reasons behind the pause.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said Trump continued to prefer a diplomatic solution while keeping all military options available.
"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 said.
He added that Iran would be wise to pursue negotiations after facing sanctions and 13 consecutive days of US military strikes.
According to CNN, Gulf states have also urged restraint in recent discussions with US officials, although they acknowledged Washington possesses the military capability to further escalate the conflict if necessary.
The report added that even after publicly considering a broader military offensive, Trump privately instructed his negotiators to continue diplomatic talks with Tehran.
Sources cited by CNN said few officials within Trump's inner circle or the Pentagon believed further military escalation would achieve the desired objectives without potentially requiring a larger US military commitment.
Responding to questions about military readiness, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the US military remained fully prepared.
"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 said.
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