Trump paused attacks on Iran to make space for talks, US ambassador says

President Donald Trump paused attacks on Iran for the second night in a row to give diplomacy more time, according to US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz. Waltz stated on Sunday that the president was "giving talks some space; he's giving it a little bit of room."

An Iranian army spokesperson said on Sunday that Tehran had halted "retaliatory" attacks in the region in response. The pause follows nearly two weeks of daily US strikes and tit-for-tat attacks, which effectively unraveled a ceasefire struck in June. Waltz rejected reports that administration officials had warned expanding hostilities could dangerously drain a diminished stockpile of air defense munitions, stating the US military has everything it needs. Iran and Oman held several rounds of technical talks in Tehran on Friday and Saturday to discuss management of the Strait of Hormuz. Disputes over control of the strait reignited US-Iran tensions earlier this month. Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in June to halt military operations and reopen the strait, as well as to reach an agreement to end the war over the following 60 days. After Iranian forces attacked tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on 13 July, the US resumed airstrikes on the country and reinstated its naval blockade on Iranian ports.