For the second consecutive night, the witching hour came and went with no bombers in the air.
Then the New York Times dropped a new report: Trump has, for now, shelved plans to significantly escalate, with administration officials naming dwindling interceptor stocks first among the reasons, ahead of wider-war risk, strikes on Gulf allies, and the economic and refugee fallout.
Few in his inner circle back escalation at all, doubting more bombs move Tehran anywhere except closer together.
Larry Johnson, thirty years across CIA and State, sees the same answer written in the machinery.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs privately cautioned that resuming major combat is doable but would dangerously deplete the interceptors defending every American base in the region.
And the air-war planning channel that would build such a campaign sits dark this weekend, its planners not spun up, which no real strike order would allow.
The inventory numbers underneath are the story.
Official claims put interceptor stocks near a thousand.
Larry's estimate: "probably fewer than 200."
One honest caveat rides along, since some 90 US refueling aircraft are reportedly parked at Israeli fields, and a shelf can double as a lull.
Wars end when the will breaks or the magazine empties.
Washington is discovering which comes first.
@NewSonof
