Iran Tensions Ease as US and Tehran Both Pause Attacks for Second Day

The United States paused attacks on Iran for a second straight day on Sunday while Tehran said it had halted its own retaliatory operations, reviving hopes for a return to negotiations on an interim ceasefire undermined by nearly two weeks of strikes focused on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program. Iran tensions have shown signs of easing after nearly two weeks of exchanges.

US and Iran Declare Mutual Pause in Strikes

The United States paused its attacks on Iran for a second straight day Sunday and Tehran said it had done so too. [2] Since the U.S. has halted attacks for the past two nights, Iran has as well, its army spokesperson told Iran’s state TV on Sunday. [2] “These attacks continued until two nights ago, but over the past two nights the Americans have stopped their attacks,” said army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia. [3] “Since… our strategy has essentially been retaliatory, we have also halted our retaliatory operations.” [3] Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States maintains its pause on strikes, but Tehran remains skeptical of US intentions, a senior Iranian source told Reuters on Sunday. [5] “Iran’s position remains ‘attack for attack’: if the attacks stop, Iran will also halt its operations. That message has already been conveyed to the United States,” the source told Reuters, a day after Washington halted attacks following 13 successive nights of air strikes. [5] “There is more skepticism than optimism about the halt in attacks. The prevailing view is that the pause is tactical rather than genuine,” the source added. [5] It was not clear why the U.S. has paused after targeting Iranian coastal areas and infrastructure in a nearly two-week escalation sparked by Iran’s firing at ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz. [2]

Netanyahu's Comments and Upcoming Meeting with Trump

The Iran war will end “when the Iranian regime falls, or weakens to such an extent that it understands that it must end its nuclear program,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a Sunday interview with Fox News. [1] Netanyahu on Sunday told Fox News he “fully” backs Trump’s efforts to weaken Iran and press it to end its nuclear program, adding: “If he can do so without returning to intense military fighting, that’s fine. Why not?” [2] The prime minister indicated he would not present new information to “our good friend” Trump and instead would listen to “what he has in mind, because I think in many ways, it’s his decision.” [2] But Netanyahu warned that if Iran again attacks Israel, directly or with armed proxies, “it will make a terrible mistake.” [2] Netanyahu plans to travel to the United States and meet with Trump in Washington on Tuesday, his office has said. [2] They last met in Washington in February, weeks before they launched the war on Iran that killed senior leaders including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. [2]

Diplomatic Efforts and Mediation Signals

A regional official involved in mediation efforts said diplomacy was underway and that a pause in U.S. and Iranian strikes was a “positive signal that helps their efforts to de-escalate.” [2] The official said both countries want to return to the interim ceasefire deal and that a compromise being negotiated centers on having Iran run vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz with fewer restrictions on ships. [2] The 60-day period that began when the interim deal was signed by both countries in mid-June is now well into its second half, and major issues that were meant to be negotiated — notably Iran’s nuclear program at the heart of tensions — remain set aside as mediators try to keep both sides talking. [2] Iran on Sunday said it continued to speak with Oman about managing the safe passage of ships on the Strait of Hormuz, which passes between the countries. [2] Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said talks had made progress and continued. [2] The US ambassador to the United Nations told Fox News on Sunday that President Donald Trump is giving Iran talks “some space.” [5] “He's giving talks some space; he's giving it a little bit of room,” Mike Waltz told the broadcaster on Sunday. [5] “President (Donald) 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,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said. [2]

Background on the Five-Month Conflict and Strait of Hormuz Flashpoint

Fighting over the strategic Strait of Hormuz derailed diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran, but the conflict then expanded beyond the vital energy corridor to include attacks on US bases, regional shipping and Gulf allies. [3] The war that Trump once predicted would last four or five weeks is now nearing its fifth month. [3] Tehran has asserted that the interim deal with the U.S. allows it to manage shipping on the waterway for now, and it has objected to U.S. efforts to support a route through the strait that passes close to Oman instead. [2] The U.S. military on Saturday said its recently reimposed naval blockade against Iran continued, with a dozen commercial ships redirected, two disabled and two boarded. [2] Concerns continued about shipping on the strait and now on another crucial waterway in the region, the Bab al-Mandeb strait to the Red Sea. [2] Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen last week threatened a blockade of Saudi shipping there. [2] Global energy supplies and the economy remain in the balance as gasoline prices have risen again. [2]

US Concerns Over Munitions and Escalation Risks

US operations against Iran were “on a hold”, CNN reported, quoting an unidentified Pentagon source, even as US President Donald Trump threatened a “much higher level” of strikes on Friday. [3] Plans to escalate the campaign have been shelved in part because of those shrinking supplies, The New York Times reported, citing two people briefed on the matter. [3] Trump also faces the risk of a wider Middle East war, the estrangement of vulnerable Gulf allies and further shocks to the global economy, the newspaper said. [3] Vice President JD Vance and top US general Dan Caine both raised concerns about escalation at a White House meeting on Friday, CNN reported. [3] Caine told Trump the military could carry out the options available to him successfully but warned of the possible implications, according to the network. [3] The Pentagon had presented Trump with a plan for a 14th night of strikes, but he declined to authorise it in favour of a push for talks, Axios reported. [3] Trump said on Friday he had not decided whether to return to an all-out operation. [3] “We’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious,” he told journalists. [3] Trump said Iran faced a choice between a deal and strikes at a “much higher level”. [3]

Regional Spillover Including Houthi Actions

Fighting has meanwhile spread to a new front. Houthi rebels on Sunday said they downed a Saudi drone over the northwest of Yemen, a day after the Yemeni group claimed it attacked oil facilities in the Gulf kingdom. [3] A day earlier, the Houthis had said they struck Saudi Aramco sites in Jizan and Yanbu, after Riyadh bombed Houthi targets on Friday. [3] A surface-to-air battery operated by Greek personnel in Saudi Arabia downed two ballistic missiles and a drone over Yanbu, the Greek air force media office said. [3] Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran could not be blamed for the escalation and offered to broker talks between the Houthis and Riyadh, saying “there is no military solution”. [3] On Sunday, Iran’s armed forces stopped six vessels attempting to transit the Hormuz Strait over the past 24 hours after warnings, according to state television. [3] Tehran’s effective blockade of the waterway remains the central flashpoint with Washington. [3] Iran said on Sunday it had made progress in talks with neighbouring Oman on “common principles and operational mechanisms” for shipping in the Strait. [3]

What to watch next: Netanyahu plans to meet Trump in Washington on Tuesday, while mediators continue efforts to revive the interim ceasefire deal centered on the Strait of Hormuz.