The United States and Iran have paused their escalating conflict for a second day as reports emerge of renewed diplomatic efforts. Neither side launched strikes on Sunday, marking a sudden calm following two weeks of nightly attacks by the US on Iran and retaliatory actions by Iran against US allies in the Gulf.

According to Iranian media, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps fired warning shots to stop six vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz in the previous 24 hours. The strait has been a focal point of recent hostilities.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, speaking about talks with an Omani delegation, described discussions on managing marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz as “useful and progress was made.”

The New York Times reported that former US President Trump paused plans to escalate attacks due to concerns over depleting the Pentagon’s limited stockpile of missile interceptors and other air defense munitions in the Middle East.

This relative calm comes amid hopes for a return to diplomacy between the two nations.

Sources