Iran went another night without American airstrikes Sunday as the Trump administration weighed renewed diplomacy against reports that shrinking supplies of defensive weapons and fears of a broader regional war were limiting further military escalation.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United States held off on another round of airstrikes against Iran on Sunday, interrupting nearly two weeks of consecutive nighttime bombardments as military stockpile concerns, diplomatic pressure and the danger of a wider Middle East conflict reportedly influenced deliberations in Washington.
The pause came as the war approached its fifth month, far exceeding President Donald Trump’s earlier prediction that the conflict would last four or five weeks. Although the break in attacks raised the possibility of renewed negotiations, U.S. media reports indicated that operational concerns, including declining inventories of Patriot interceptors and other defensive munitions, were also affecting the administration’s choices.
CNN reported that American operations against Iran were “on a hold,” citing an unidentified Pentagon source. The New York Times separately reported that plans for a broader campaign had been shelved in part because of shrinking weapons supplies, citing two people briefed on the matter.
The Pentagon had prepared options for a 14th consecutive night of strikes, but Trump declined to authorize the mission and instead favored another attempt at negotiations, Axios reported.
Trump said Friday that he had not made a final decision on whether to resume an unrestricted military campaign.
“We’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious,” Trump told journalists.
He said Tehran faced a choice between reaching an agreement and confronting attacks conducted at a “much higher level.”
The administration’s decision-making has reportedly included warnings from senior officials about the consequences of expanding the war. Vice President JD Vance and Gen. Dan Caine, the nation’s top military officer, raised concerns about escalation during a White House meeting Friday, according to CNN.
Caine reportedly told Trump that the armed forces were capable of successfully carrying out the military options presented to him, while also cautioning the president about the possible consequences.
Those risks include a larger regional conflict, further disruption to the global economy and growing tensions with Gulf governments vulnerable to Iranian retaliation. The war has already expanded beyond the Strait of Hormuz, drawing in regional shipping routes, U.S. military installations and American allies across the Gulf.
The strategic waterway remains the central point of confrontation. Fighting around the Strait of Hormuz disrupted earlier diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran before attacks spread into other areas of the region.
Iranian authorities said Sunday that the country’s armed forces had stopped six vessels attempting to pass through the strait during the preceding 24 hours after issuing warnings, according to state television.
Tehran’s effective blockade of the route has remained a major source of tension with Washington because of the strait’s importance to international energy shipments.
Iran also announced progress in discussions with neighboring Oman over “common principles and operational mechanisms” governing maritime traffic through the waterway.
Iran and Oman said in June that they would consider imposing service fees on vessels using the strait, a proposal opposed by Washington. Muscat also said ships could travel through Omani waters, angering Tehran and contributing to a subsequent pattern of escalation.
Iran’s military warned that any renewed American offensive could cause the conflict to spread geographically.
“If the Americans once again fall for the Zionists’ deception, or move in line with them, and insist on continuing the war, particularly through air strikes, geographically this will expand further,” army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia told Iranian state television Sunday.
The warning came before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled visit to Washington on Tuesday, adding another element to the administration’s deliberations over whether to resume or intensify strikes.
The conflict has already opened another front involving Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis said they attacked Saudi Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu on Saturday, one day after Saudi forces bombed Houthi targets.
A surface-to-air defense battery operated by Greek personnel in Saudi Arabia intercepted two ballistic missiles and a drone over Yanbu, according to the Greek air force media office.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that Tehran was responsible for the latest escalation and offered to mediate between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
“There is no military solution,” Araghchi said.
The widening hostilities have placed additional pressure on Trump as the November midterm elections approach. The prolonged conflict has weighed on the president’s approval ratings while presenting the administration with increasingly difficult military, diplomatic and economic calculations.
Washington must now decide whether to use the current pause to revive negotiations or return to the expanded strikes Trump threatened Friday. Any renewed operation could further deplete defensive weapons, expose U.S. bases and Gulf allies to retaliation and deepen disruptions to shipping and energy markets.
For now, Iran has passed another night without American bombardment, but neither Washington nor Tehran has indicated that the underlying confrontation has been resolved.
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