US and Iran Pause Military Strikes; Talks on Strait of Hormuz Resume

The United States and Iran have both refrained from military strikes for two consecutive days, according to statements from US officials and Iranian military leadership, as technical negotiations resume over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told NBC that President Trump was "giving talks some space, he's giving it a little bit of room," per BBC reporting. An Iranian army spokesperson said on Sunday that Tehran had halted "retaliatory" attacks in the region in response, according to the same reporting.

The pause marks a shift after nearly two weeks of daily US strikes and tit-for-tat attacks that effectively unraveled a ceasefire struck in June. In that June agreement, Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding to halt military operations, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and reach a war-ending agreement within 60 days. The accord collapsed on July 13 when Iranian forces attacked tankers in the strait. The US resumed airstrikes and reinstated a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Iran then retaliated with attacks on US military facilities and bases across the Middle East, killing four American soldiers, according to BBC reporting. The US strikes have since killed dozens of people, per Iran's health ministry.

Disputes over control of the Strait of Hormuz remain the central obstacle to a permanent settlement. Iran and Oman held technical talks in Tehran on Friday and Saturday to discuss management of the waterway, according to Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, per BBC reporting. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC he would meet US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the coming week to discuss the strait, stating the two countries are "absolutely aligned" on securing maritime freedom and commercial shipping there.

When asked whether Trump had ruled out escalation, Waltz told NBC: "I wouldn't go that far at all. The president is keeping all options on the table." He also rejected reports in the New York Times that administration officials had warned expanding hostilities could dangerously drain air defence munitions, stating instead that "the US military has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be," per BBC reporting.

The renewed fighting has rippled through energy markets and domestic opinion. Oil prices hit $100 a barrel earlier this week for the first time since May, stoking concerns over global energy supplies, according to BBC reporting. A poll from CBS/YouGov showed 57 percent of Americans are frustrated about the conflict and only 19 percent optimistic, per the same source. Thousands of people have been killed across the Middle East since the US-Israeli war with Iran began in February, with the vast majority coming from Iran and Lebanon, according to BBC reporting.

President Trump is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, per BBC reporting.