DUBAI/WASHINGTON: Iran halted attacks while the United States maintained its bombing pause for a second day on Sunday, July 26, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.
Tehran continues to follow an “attack for attack” policy, the official said on condition of anonymity. Iran has conveyed that position to Washington.
The conditional halt does not constitute a formal ceasefire. Neither country announced an agreement governing the pause or preventing either side from resuming military action.
The Pentagon suspended its bombing campaign late Friday after 13 consecutive nights of US airstrikes against Iran. Neither side reported new attacks on Saturday or Sunday, according to Reuters.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said President Donald Trump had paused the attacks to create space for diplomatic talks. He stressed that Washington had not ruled out renewed military action.
A US official told Reuters that the bombing campaign had largely exhausted its preselected targets. The official said General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had also warned Trump about pressure on US munitions and air-defence interceptors.
Caine’s office and US Central Command declined to comment on the reported private advice.
Waltz told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the US military had the weapons it needed. However, he acknowledged that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth inherited depleted military stockpiles.
Read: Houthis Attack Saudi Oil Sites as US Pauses Iran Strikes
The Iranian official expressed greater scepticism than optimism about Washington’s decision. Tehran considers the halt tactical and remains doubtful that it signals a change in the US negotiating position.
Washington said its latest strikes responded to Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran subsequently targeted desalination facilities in Gulf states hosting US military bases.
The strait carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply before the conflict disrupted shipping through the waterway.
