Trump Halts Iran Strikes After 13 Days; Diplomacy Advances July 26

President Donald Trump ordered the US military to halt new strikes on Iran on Friday, ending a 13-day bombing campaign and signaling a potential pivot toward diplomacy. Vice President JD Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine raised concerns about escalation and munitions stockpiles during a White House meeting, sources told CNN. The pause comes as mediators intensify efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and prevent further regional conflict.

Why Trump ordered the pause

Vice President Vance and Gen. Caine warned Trump about the costs of continued escalation during Friday’s White House meeting. Gen. Caine specifically raised concerns about US munitions stockpiles and other negative implications of expanding the campaign, according to sources familiar with the discussion. Trump received military plans for new strikes but did not approve them, instead ordering operations to hold, a Department of Defense source told CNN.

The 13-day bombing campaign ends

The US military had announced strikes on Iran every night for 13 consecutive days starting July 11, after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard attacked tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. On Friday, July 25, US Central Command did not announce new strikes for the first time in two weeks. Regional US allies reported no fresh attacks over the weekend, marking a significant break in the bombing pattern.

Diplomacy accelerates as Hormuz talks progress

Omani officials traveled to Tehran on Friday to negotiate reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran’s attacks have effectively closed. Sources told Axios that negotiations have made progress and an Oman-Iran agreement could be reached over the weekend. Trump told reporters he believes Iran is “getting more serious” about talks and said both sides are currently negotiating. He indicated three options: continue strikes, escalate by “knocking out everything they have,” or pursue a “smarter strategy” of making a deal.

New tensions emerge as Houthis attack Saudi targets

While US strikes paused, Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen fired missiles and drones at Saudi oil facilities on the Red Sea on Saturday, hitting sites in Yanbu and Jizan. Saudi Arabia retaliated with strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. The escalation opens a new front in the five-month conflict, which has already displaced 1.2 million people in Lebanon and threatened global oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Final Thoughts

Trump’s pause signals uncertainty about the path forward. With military advisers warning of escalation costs and diplomacy advancing on the Hormuz corridor, the next 48 hours will determine whether the lull becomes a lasting ceasefire or a temporary operational pause before renewed fighting.

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