US holds fire against Iran as reports emerge of stockpile concerns
Tehran, Iran - Iran passed another night without US airstrikes on Sunday, as Washington paused a war nearing its fifth month and reports emerged that concerns over dwindling munitions were restraining plans for further escalation.
The lull has revived hopes of a return to negotiations after nearly two weeks of consecutive nightly US bombardments, although US media outlets reported the pause could also reflect pressure on stockpiles of Patriot interceptors and other defensive weapons.
Fighting over the strategic Strait of Hormuz derailed diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran, but the conflict then expanded beyond the vital energy corridor to include attacks on US bases, regional shipping, and Gulf allies.
However, US operations against Iran were "on a hold," CNN reported, quoting an unidentified Pentagon source, even as President Donald Trump threatened a "much higher level" of strikes on Friday.
Plans to escalate the campaign have been shelved in part because of those shrinking supplies, The New York Times reported, citing two people briefed on the matter.
Trump also faces the risk of a wider Middle East war, the estrangement of vulnerable Gulf allies, and further shocks to the global economy, the newspaper said.
Vice President JD Vance and top US general Dan Caine both raised concerns about escalation at a White House meeting on Friday, CNN reported.
Caine told Trump the military could carry out the options available to him successfully but warned of the possible implications, according to the network.
Trump threatens to strike Iran at "much higher level"
Trump said on Friday he had not decided whether to return to an all-out assault.
"We're talking to them right now. I think they're getting more and more serious," he told journalists.
Trump said Iran faced a choice between a deal and strikes at a "much higher level."
The war that Trump once predicted would last four or five weeks is now nearing its fifth month, and is weighing on the Republican's approval ratings ahead of crucial midterm elections in November.
The Pentagon had presented Trump with a plan for a 14th night of strikes, but he declined to authorize it in favor of a push for talks, Axios reported.
Fighting has, meanwhile, spread to a new front.
Yemen's Houthis said they struck Saudi Aramco sites in Jizan and Yanbu on Saturday, a day after Riyadh bombed Houthi targets.
A surface-to-air battery operated by Greek personnel in Saudi Arabia downed two ballistic missiles and a drone over Yanbu, the Greek air force media office said.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had stopped four ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz in 24 hours.
Tehran's effective blockade of the waterway remains the central flashpoint with Washington.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran could not be blamed for the escalation and offered to broker talks between the Houthis and Riyadh, saying "there is no military solution."
Iran army says war to "expand further" if US attacks restart
Iran's army warned on Sunday that the Middle East war would widen if the US chose to press ahead with attacks on the Islamic republic, ahead of the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington.
"I believe that 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 spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia told state television.
He said the war had already expanded to the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the entrance of the Red Sea, referencing the recent military flare-up between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
"The scope of our operations now encompasses the entire region, from US bases in Jordan to the countries along the Persian Gulf," he said.
Akraminia said the situation in the Middle East for the US is "difficult and unsettled," predicting that Washington was now looking "for a new strategy."
"We are prepared for each of the options and scenarios that appear likely," he added.
On Friday, Israel said Netanyahu – who is wanted by the International Criminal Court – will meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
Cover photo: AFP