Iran passed another night without US airstrikes on Sunday, as Washington paused a war nearing its fifth month and reports emerged that concerns over dwindling munitions were restraining plans for further escalation.
The lull has revived hopes of a return to negotiations after nearly two weeks of consecutive nightly US bombardments, although US media reported the pause could also reflect pressure on stockpiles of Patriot interceptors and other defensive weapons.
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.
However, 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.
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.
Trump also faces the risk of a wider Middle East war and further shocks to the global economy, the newspaper said.
Vice President JD Vance and top US general Dan Caine both raised concerns about escalation at a White House meeting on Friday, CNN reported.
Caine told Trump the military could carry out the options available to him successfully but warned of the possible implications, according to the network.
In a phone interview with France’s LCI news, Trump said he was still prepared to restart a major military campaign if Tehran does not give the United States what it wants, according to the New York Post.
“If we don’t get 100% of what we want, absolutely,” Trump said when asked whether he could return to full-scale war with Iran.
‘Much higher level’
Trump said on Friday he had not decided whether to return to an all-out operation.
“We’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious,” he told journalists.
Trump said Iran faced a choice between a deal and strikes at a “much higher level.”
The war that Trump once predicted would last four or five weeks is now nearing its fifth month, and is weighing on the Republican’s approval ratings ahead of crucial US midterm elections in November.
The Pentagon had presented Trump with a plan for a 14th night of strikes but he declined to authorize it in favor of a push for talks, Axios reported.
CENTCOM said on Sunday that the US naval blockade against Iran remained in full effect.
“As of July 25, CENTCOM has redirected 12 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled two that didn’t comply, and boarded two to ensure total compliance,” the US military said in a statement on X.
It noted that US forces completed a verification boarding aboard Comoros-flagged M/T Charminar in the Arabian Sea, and the tanker is now continuing its journey.
“CENTCOM forces disabled Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman, July 24, after the crew attempted to violate the blockade multiple times and ignored repeated warnings. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran.”
