CAIRO — For the second day in a row, the United States held off on striking Iran on Sunday, and Tehran confirmed it had done the same, as diplomats worked to pull both nations back to the negotiating table following a stretch of fighting that threatened to collapse an existing interim ceasefire arrangement.
The reason behind Washington’s decision to stand down remained unclear. The U.S. had been targeting Iranian coastal areas and infrastructure over nearly two weeks after Iran began firing on commercial vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon did not respond to questions about the pause on Sunday.
White House communications director Steven Cheung offered this statement: “President Trump has always been consistent in saying he prefers a diplomatic solution, but he continues to retain all options if Iran continues terrorist activities in the Strait of Hormuz or against allies.” Cheung added, “It would be wise for Iran to work toward a negotiated deal. Otherwise, they know what will happen.”
Iran’s army spokesperson confirmed on state television Sunday that since the U.S. had stopped its strikes over the past two nights, Iran had done the same. In the days prior, Iran had launched counterattacks against regional nations hosting American military personnel, resulting in the deaths of at least three service members at a base in Jordan.
The interim ceasefire deal, signed by both nations in mid-June, set a 60-day window for negotiations. That period is now more than halfway through, and critical issues — most significantly Iran’s nuclear program — have yet to be addressed, with mediators focused simply on keeping communication open between the two sides.
A regional official involved in the mediation process described the mutual halt in strikes as “a positive signal that helps their efforts to de-escalate,” saying diplomacy was actively underway. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and requested anonymity, said both nations want to return to the ceasefire framework. A compromise under discussion would allow Iran to oversee ship transit through the Strait of Hormuz under reduced restrictions.
Concerns about maritime safety extended beyond the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab al-Mandeb strait leading to the Red Sea, after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened last week to blockade Saudi shipping in that waterway. The ongoing tensions have pushed gasoline prices higher and kept global energy markets on edge.
Iran said Sunday that it was continuing discussions with Oman regarding safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which runs between the two countries. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said those talks had made progress and were ongoing. He also stated that the strait’s status had not changed, reiterating Tehran’s position that the interim agreement grants it authority to manage shipping on the waterway. Iran has pushed back against U.S. efforts to promote an alternative route through the strait that runs closer to Oman.
The U.S. military reported Saturday that its recently reinstated naval blockade of Iran remained in effect, with a dozen commercial vessels redirected, two disabled, and two boarded. American forces, the military said, “remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready.”
On a separate diplomatic front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Washington on Tuesday to meet with President Trump, according to Netanyahu’s office. Their previous meeting in Washington took place in February, just weeks before the two nations launched a war against Iran that resulted in the deaths of senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Following the start of that conflict, Iranian-backed Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel two days in, prompting Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon. Since then, the U.S. has backed direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel aimed at calming that front and finding a path to disarm Hezbollah.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Netanyahu said he “fully” supports Trump’s efforts to weaken Iran and pressure it to abandon its nuclear program. “If he can do so without returning to intense military fighting, that’s fine. Why not?” he said. Netanyahu indicated he did not plan to bring new proposals to Trump, saying he intended instead to hear “what he has in mind, because I think in many ways, it’s his decision.” However, he cautioned that any future attack on Israel — whether direct or through armed proxy groups — would be “a terrible mistake.”
