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Pause and reciprocal halt
After President Donald Trump’s advisers told him they were running out of targets and expressed worries about depleting the U.S. arsenal, the Pentagon suspended its bombing campaign late on Friday with no U.S. attacks reported on either Saturday or Sunday.
“Iran says it will halt strikes as long as US bombing pause holds By Parisa Hafezi, Phil Stewart and Raphael Satter DUBAI/WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States does the same, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday”
Reuters reported that Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States does the same, quoting a senior Iranian official saying, "remains ‘attack for attack’: if the attacks stop, Iran will also halt its operations."
The Reuters account also said that after 13 nights of intensifying U.S. airstrikes on Iran, Iran had so far held fire for two days while the U.S. pressed pause on its bombing campaign.
The BBC and NPR both framed the pause as continuing into a second straight day, with NPR saying, "The United States paused its attacks on Iran for a second straight day Sunday and Tehran said it had done so too."
Waltz: room for talks
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, said Trump paused strikes to give diplomacy more time, telling Fox News Sunday, "He's giving talks some space, he's giving it a little bit of room."
Middle East Eye similarly quoted Waltz saying, "He's giving a little bit of room," while noting that U.S. strikes had halted for two consecutive nights after 13 days of daily attacks.
NPR added that White House communications director Steven Cheung said, "It would be wise for Iran to work toward a negotiated deal," while also saying Trump continues to retain all options if Iran continues terrorist activities in the Strait of Hormuz or against allies.
In the same NPR report, Iran’s army spokesperson said on Iran’s state TV that, "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."
What’s at stake next
NPR said the 60-day period that began when the interim deal was signed in mid-June is now well into its second half, with major issues meant to be negotiated—"notably Iran's nuclear program"—remaining set aside as mediators try to keep both sides talking.
“Airstrikes have paused and talks are pressing forward”
The Guardian reported that the lull in fighting followed nearly two weeks of strikes and the collapse of a ceasefire brokered by Trump, while also citing Iran’s army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia saying, "Our strategy has essentially been retaliatory, we have also halted our retaliatory operations."
AP described the pause as an off-ramp question, saying the U.S. military has paused airstrikes on Iran after nearly two weeks of intensifying bombing while diplomatic efforts press forward to avert a return to all-out war.
AP also warned that it remains to be seen whether the U.S. and Iran are at an inflection point, quoting Michael Singh saying, "If it turns into a multiday pause, that’ll be something significant," as the conflict approaches the five-month point Tuesday.
