Iran Signals Halt to Strikes Amid US Bombing Pause
A senior Iranian official has confirmed that Iran will stop its attacks as long as the United States maintains its current pause in airstrikes. The statement came on Sunday after nearly two weeks of intense military exchanges that raised tensions across the region.
The Pentagon suspended its bombing campaign late on Friday following 13 consecutive nights of escalating US airstrikes on Iranian targets. No American attacks were reported over the weekend. In response, Iran, which had been launching its own strikes on neighbouring countries hosting US bases after each night of American operations, has also held fire for two days so far.
Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the Iranian official made the country’s position clear. Tehran’s approach remains “attack for attack.” If the US stops its operations, Iran will do the same. That message has already been passed to Washington.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz explained that President Donald Trump paused the strikes to create space for diplomacy. “He’s giving talks some space, he’s giving it a little bit of room,” Waltz told American media outlets. However, a US official noted that military planners had largely exhausted pre-selected targets aimed at deterring threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Concerns about depleting munitions stocks, including air defence interceptors, also played a role in the decision.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had privately warned that resuming major combat operations carried risks due to the strain on US arsenal levels. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was said to have inherited a depleted situation when he took office.
Iranian sources expressed more scepticism than optimism about the pause. They view it as tactical rather than a genuine shift in the American negotiating position, citing past experiences of what Tehran sees as US deception. The interim agreement reached last month aimed at ending the conflict was effectively derailed by the renewed US military campaign.
For residents in Iran, uncertainty continues. One business owner in Tehran described the atmosphere as being stuck in limbo, with people exhausted by the ongoing cycle of threats and temporary lulls. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global oil once flowed, remains a critical flashpoint as both sides watch for the next move.
