US and Iran pause strikes for third night

US media reports the US military had paused strikes on Iran, while Tehran says it had halted its retaliatory attacks in response.

The New York Times reported US President Donald Trump had set aside plans for a sharp escalation after senior advisers warned of dwindling US air-defence stocks. It said Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine cautioned that renewed large-scale operations could exhaust the interceptors available to US Central Command.

The US has fired more than 1,200 Patriot interceptors, each costing over 4 million US dollars. US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Fox News Sunday Trump had paused military strikes on Iran to leave more room for diplomatic negotiations.

Mike Waltz says, “As the president said, we are locked and loaded. Even more assets are going into theater. But he’s giving talks some space. He’s giving it a little bit of room. We’ve had both Oman and Iran and a number of our other negotiators engaged at every level, from the most senior levels all the way down to the technical level over the past few weeks, and particularly in the past days.”

Iran confirmed it had halted retaliatory attacks after the US stopped its strikes over the past two nights. Mohammad Akraminia says the US had failed to achieve its objectives in its aggression against Iran. He added Iran’s armed forces were fully prepared for all possible scenarios and would respond appropriately to any potential action.

Amid the pause in fighting, hundreds of vessels and thousands of seafarers remain trapped in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to a maritime body overseen by the US Navy, commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is at a three-week low.