After nearly two weeks of daily strikes and tit-for-tat attacks that risked derailing peace efforts, President Donald Trump has paused military action against Iran for a second consecutive night, according to US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz.
Waltz told Fox News on Sunday that Trump was "giving talks some space, he's giving it a little bit of room." An Iranian army spokesperson confirmed on Sunday that Tehran had halted "retaliatory" attacks in the region. The pause follows an escalation that began when Iranian forces attacked tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on 13 July, prompting US airstrikes and a naval blockade. Iran retaliated with attacks on US military facilities, killing four American soldiers, while US strikes have killed dozens, according to Iran's health ministry.
“Trump pauses Iran strikes for second night, oil drops to $91 as talks gain space.”
The lull has had an immediate economic impact: oil prices dropped sharply to $91 a barrel on Monday, after hitting $100 for the first time since May last week.
But Waltz cautioned against reading too much into the pause, telling NBC: "I wouldn't go that far at all. The president is keeping all options on the table." He also dismissed reports in the New York Times that administration officials had warned expanding hostilities could dangerously drain a diminished stockpile of air defence munitions, insisting the US military "has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be."
While Trump has not spoken publicly, he posted computer-generated images on his Truth Social account depicting US military planes bombing Iranian ships and Kharg island.
On the diplomatic front, Iran and Oman held several rounds of technical talks in Tehran on Friday and Saturday to discuss management of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei. The strait remains a major block to a permanent end to the war, after disputes over its control reignited tensions earlier this month.
The June memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US, which halted military operations and aimed to reopen the strait and agree on ending the war within 60 days, was effectively unravelled by the 13 July tanker attacks.
In the UK, new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said he would meet US counterpart Pete Hegseth in the coming week to discuss the strait, one of the world's key transport routes for oil, liquid natural gas and other essential commodities. "When it comes to securing maritime freedom and free commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, that's where we are absolutely aligned," Streeting told the BBC.
The pause offers a fragile window for diplomacy, but with Trump keeping all options open and unresolved disputes over the strait, the risk of a return to full-blown war remains high.