USA25 July, 20262 min read
Trump Orders US Military To Hold Fire On Iran After Oman Talks Progress
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Trump directed the US military not to conduct new strikes on Iran on Friday. The halt ended a 13-day streak of daily US attacks on Iran.
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Strike Pause and Diplomacy
US President Donald Trump directed the US military not to conduct new strikes on Iran on Friday, breaking a nearly two-week streak of daily attacks that Axios said had included approved strike plans for the previous 13 days. Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, "We're locked and loaded and ready to go, but we're talking to them," and he added that he believes "the smarter strategy" is to "make a deal" with Iran.
Axios reported that the pause came after an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran for talks aimed at reaching a new arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with regional sources saying negotiations had made progress. The Egyptian Gazette also said Trump’s directive came after he approved daily strikes over the previous 13 days, while noting it was unclear if Friday’s order was a one-off or whether the lull would continue.
Oman Talks and US Options
Axios reported that Trump withheld authorization for a similar plan presented Friday and instead ordered the military to hold fire, after approving strike plans each afternoon over the previous two weeks. Two regional sources told Axios that Iran and Oman had made progress and could reach an agreement over the weekend, after which any proposed deal would require Trump’s approval.
The reports also said the US military continues to prepare options for a possible return to major combat operations, but Trump has not ordered it to move in that direction. In remarks at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, Trump said he did not believe Iran was ready to reach an agreement "at the moment," but added that he was willing to listen.
Executions and Human Rights
While international attention focused on the Iran-US war and regional escalation, Iran International quoted human rights advocates saying Tehran was intensifying another campaign largely outside the global spotlight: the execution of protesters and political prisoners. Azadeh Afsahi, founder of Iran House, asked on Iran International’sEye for Iran podcast, "The bombs are making noise and the world is looking at Iran, but what about the silence that is killing innocent people every day?"
“The bombs are making noise and the world is looking at Iran, but what about the silence that is killing innocent people every day?”
Iran Human Rights said at least 24 people were executed in connection with the January protests since March 19, and it reported that more than 70 people are awaiting execution in Dastgerd Prison in the central city of Isfahan. The UN Human Rights Council-mandated fact-finding mission called on Tehran on Thursday to halt the executions immediately, and it said relatives of at least two prisoners had been summoned for what appeared to be final visits.