Iran and the United States refrained from launching attacks on Sunday, offering a temporary respite to Gulf shipping and the oil industry after weeks of escalating hostilities, as US President Donald Trump’s administration signalled it was allowing diplomacy a chance.
Iran said it had suspended retaliatory strikes against Washington’s regional allies, while US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Trump was giving negotiations “a little bit of room” despite American forces remaining on high alert.
Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Waltz said US forces remained “locked and loaded” but stressed that the president wanted to create space for talks.
Until Friday, the US military had carried out strikes on Iran for 13 consecutive nights, marking the most intense escalation since the collapse of an April ceasefire. However, no strikes have been reported over the past two nights.
Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said Tehran had responded by suspending its own retaliatory operations.
“These attacks continued until two nights ago, but over the past two nights the Americans have stopped their attacks,” Akraminia said. “Since our strategy has essentially been retaliatory, we have also halted our retaliatory operations.”
The conflict, initially centred on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, has expanded to include attacks on US military bases, regional shipping lanes and Washington’s Gulf allies, disrupting diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington.
Unconfirmed Iranian media reports on Sunday claimed that an oil tanker had been damaged by a sea mine.
Hopes for renewed talks
The pause in hostilities has raised hopes of renewed negotiations, although US media reported that the slowdown could also reflect pressure on American stockpiles of Patriot missile interceptors and other air defence systems.
Waltz rejected that suggestion during a separate interview on NBC’s Meet the Press.
“I want to be crystal clear. The US military—and I’ve verified this every which way—has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday, where he is widely expected to press for continued pressure on Iran, particularly over its nuclear programme.
Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful civilian purposes, while the United States and its allies accuse Tehran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu voiced support for Trump’s efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear programme.
“If he can do so without returning to intense military fighting, that’s fine. Why not? But one way or the other, they have to end their nuclear programme, and with a deal or without a deal, that has to come to an end,” he said.
Concerns over prolonged conflict
The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, reported that plans to intensify the US military campaign had been shelved partly because of dwindling munitions supplies.
The newspaper also said Trump faces growing risks, including the possibility of a broader regional war, strained relations with Gulf allies and further disruption to the global economy.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said he had yet to decide whether to resume a full-scale military operation.
“We’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious,” he said.
The conflict, which Trump had previously predicted would last only four or five weeks, is now approaching its fifth month and has begun weighing on his approval ratings ahead of November’s US midterm elections.
Despite the prolonged conflict, daily life continued largely uninterrupted in Tehran on Sunday, with heavy morning traffic, open shops and restaurants, even as the capital endured a heatwave, according to an AFP journalist.
Fighting spreads to Yemen
Meanwhile, the conflict appeared to widen further.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Sunday they had shot down a Saudi drone over northwestern Yemen, a day after claiming responsibility for attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
The Houthis said they targeted Saudi Aramco installations in Jizan and Yanbu following Saudi airstrikes on Houthi positions on Friday.
AFP
