Iran announced it has suspended retaliatory operations against US allies in the Middle East after the US administration halted attacks on the country over the past two nights.
Iran's army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said, "These attacks had continued until two nights ago, but the Americans have halted their attacks over the last two nights." Akraminia said, "Since our strategy is essentially retaliation-focused, we have also halted our retaliatory operations."
Diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran were derailed by clashes in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, but the conflict later expanded to include attacks on US bases, regional shipping, and Gulf allies.
The latest lull following nearly two weeks of relentless US bombardment has revived hopes for a return to negotiations. However, US media reported that the pause may also reflect strain on stocks of Patriot interceptors and other defensive weapons.
CNN, citing an unnamed Pentagon source, reported that US operations against Iran were "suspended." This came right after US President Donald Trump threatened a much higher level of attacks on Friday.
The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, wrote that plans to escalate the operation were shelved in part due to dwindling ammunition stocks. According to the newspaper, Trump also faces the risk of a wider Middle East war, the alienation of vulnerable Gulf allies, and new shocks to the global economy.
According to CNN, Vice President JD Vance and senior US general Dan Caine expressed concerns about escalation at a White House meeting on Friday. Caine warned Trump that the military could successfully carry out the current options but cautioned against the potential consequences.
The Iranian army, for its part, warned on Sunday that the war would expand further if the US resumed attacks ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington on Tuesday.
Trump told reporters on Friday that he had not yet decided whether to turn the operation into a full-scale one. "We are talking to them now. I think they are getting more serious," Trump said, adding that Iran must choose between a deal and a "much higher level" of attack.
As the war Trump once predicted would last four or five weeks nears its fifth month, it is putting pressure on the Republican president's approval ratings ahead of the critical midterm elections in November.
According to Axios, the Pentagon presented Trump with a plan for a 14th night of strikes, but the president did not approve it, citing a need to focus on negotiation efforts.
Meanwhile, life returned to normal in the Iranian capital Tehran. According to an AFP correspondent, amid a heat wave, Tehran residents trying to get to work faced heavy traffic; shops and restaurants were open as usual.
A new front in Yemen
The clashes meanwhile spilled over to a new front. Iran-backed Houthis said on Sunday they shot down a Saudi drone in northwestern Yemen. The claim came a day after the Yemeni group announced it had attacked oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday, the Houthis claimed they struck Saudi Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu in response to Riyadh's bombing of Houthi targets on Friday. The Greek Air Force media office reported that a surface-to-air battery operated by Greek personnel in Saudi Arabia shot down two ballistic missiles and a drone over Yanbu.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran could not be held responsible for the escalation and offered to mediate between the Houthis and Riyadh, saying "there is no military solution."
According to Iranian state television, on Sunday, the Iranian armed forces stopped six vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours after warnings. Tehran's effective blockade of the waterway remains at the center of tensions with Washington.
Iran announced progress with neighboring Oman on "joint principles and operational mechanisms" regarding shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In June, Oman and Iran announced they would discuss imposing a service fee, which Washington opposed, but Muscat angered Tehran by saying ships could pass through the strait via Omani territorial waters.
