The United States has paused strikes on Iran for a third consecutive night after senior military officials reportedly advised President Donald Trump that the current campaign had reached the limits of its effectiveness, as diplomatic efforts continued to prevent a renewed escalation in the region.
The halt, which began on Friday evening, follows nearly two weeks of US attacks on Iranian targets and comes amid negotiations focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes. Oil prices fell on Monday as markets reacted to the interruption in hostilities.
Mr Trump is weighing diplomatic and military options in a conflict that has lasted almost five months. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House on Tuesday, with Iran, Oman and US negotiators engaged in contacts aimed at avoiding a return to wider fighting.
Tehran said on Sunday that it had suspended what it described as retaliatory operations against US allies in the region. Mohammad Akraminia, an Iranian army spokesperson, said US attacks had stopped over the previous two nights and that Iran had also halted its response.
“Our strategy has essentially been retaliatory,” he said, according to the remarks reported from Tehran. Iranian officials have continued to frame their actions as a response to US and allied operations, while also signalling that talks remain under way through intermediaries.
The decision to pause US strikes followed warnings inside the administration about military capacity and the diminishing value of further attacks, according to media reports. Axios reported that Admiral Bradley Cooper, the senior US commander in the region, told Mr Trump that the campaign had largely exhausted its prepared target list in Iran.
According to that report, Admiral Cooper advised that without a return to major combat operations, there was limited operational value in continuing the bombing campaign. Senior officials were also said to have raised concerns about stocks of munitions, including Patriot missile interceptors and offensive weapons such as Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The Trump administration has not ruled out further action. Asked on NBC’s Meet the Press whether the president was excluding additional strikes inside Iran, Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said: “I wouldn’t go that far at all. The president is keeping all options on the table.”
Mr Trump told reporters on Friday that Washington was in contact with Iranian officials. “We’re talking to them right now,” he said. “I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by. We’re locked and loaded and ready to go, but we’re talking to them.” Later the same evening, he said he did not believe Iran was ready to reach an agreement but that he was prepared to listen.
The immediate diplomatic priority is the Strait of Hormuz, which carries an estimated fifth of global oil and gas flows. Washington has accused Iran of closing the waterway and of targeting US forces and allies in the region. Iran has demanded payment and a role in determining which vessels are permitted to pass.
Iranian and Omani officials were reported to be holding talks on Sunday on reopening the strait. Esmail Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said mediators were working to stop tensions from worsening. An official in Tehran also confirmed contacts with US negotiators aimed at preventing a return to war.
The military pause has not removed the risk of renewed confrontation. An Iranian army spokesperson criticised Washington’s approach and said the United States lacked a clear strategy, describing it as suffering from “strategic decision-making fatigue”. The comment reflected Tehran’s continued public resistance even as negotiations proceed.
Inside Washington, the debate appears to have included both military and political considerations. Vice-President JD Vance and General Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reportedly warned Mr Trump during an Oval Office meeting on Friday about the risks of resuming the campaign. Mr Vance has long opposed expanded US military interventions in the Middle East and has become more outspoken against the Iran campaign.
Mr Netanyahu’s visit is expected to add pressure to the White House deliberations. His office said on Sunday that he would convene Israel’s security cabinet before leaving for Washington. The Israeli leader has urged the United States to maintain a hard line on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, while US negotiators have so far placed greater emphasis on securing maritime passage through Hormuz.
The Israeli prime minister is also under domestic pressure before elections scheduled for October. He has argued that Israel’s military operations against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon have produced results, but his government continues to face security and political challenges across several fronts.
His trip to Washington comes during a sharp rise in violence in the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces have launched what they described as an extensive operation after four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed when armed settlers entered a Palestinian village on Thursday. The escalation adds to the regional context surrounding the White House talks.
The United States and the United Kingdom are also discussing a possible high-level meeting in London this week on maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. The discussions are expected to examine whether a coalition could help protect commercial shipping and support demining work in the waterway.
For the UK government, led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the talks would be an early test of its approach to the crisis. Labour has so far declined to allow Washington to use a British airbase for offensive operations against Iran, while remaining engaged in discussions on protecting international shipping.
The pause in US strikes has created space for diplomacy, but it has not resolved the underlying dispute over Iran’s military programmes, regional security or control of shipping access through Hormuz. The coming days, including Mr Netanyahu’s White House visit and the proposed London talks, are likely to determine whether the current lull becomes a pathway to de-escalation or a temporary break before renewed conflict.
