‘Giving talks some space’: US and Iran pause attacks amid delicate ceasefire talks

Supervising Producer

WASHINGTON —

For a third night in a row, U.S. Central Command reported no American strikes against Iran.

The temporary pause follows 13 straight nights of intense bombing between the two countries. Now, negotiators are reportedly working on “every level” to continue fragile ceasefire talks before fighting erupts once again.

Despite the pause, the Trump administration says it will not hesitate to resume large-scale military action against Iran.

“As the president said, we are locked and loaded. Even more assets are going into theater,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Fox News Sunday. “But [Trump] is giving talks some space. 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 few days.”

The pause has already affected global oil prices, which dropped roughly $10 after surging to $100 a barrel last week. However, the effect of the past weeks’ strikes between the U.S. and Iran is being felt in the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping slowed to a three-week low.

Still, negotiators describe the pause as a “positive signal” that could encourage continued talks, though central issues, such as Iran’s nuclear program, remain largely unaddressed.

The administration has not clarified the reason for the pause, but President Trump warned that the U.S. could return to fighting if “we don’t get 100 percent of what we want.”

Bipartisan calls for clarity

The messaging has led lawmakers to demand a clearer strategy.

“The president’s had the opportunity to achieve the initial goals, which I agreed with, and to wrap it up. It’s not happened,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La, said in an interview. “At this point, I do think there needs to be a fuller national discussion as to how we go forward.”

“What we’ve gotten instead is an even more militant Iranian regime. And the Strait of Hormuz, of course, is still closed now when it was open the day before the war,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md, said. “So, my view is just end it right now. And I will not vote for one more penny for this senseless war.”

White House responds to questions about stockpile

U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz dismissed reporting that the pause was due to a shortage of American weapons. He instead blamed the Biden administration, claiming it had left a “depleted” stockpile after years of military aid and fighting in Ukraine and Yemen.

“I want to be crystal clear. The U.S. military, and I’ve verified this every which way, has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be,” Waltz said.

Pentagon reclassifies U.S. casualties

Over the weekend, the Pentagon made more changes to how it tracks American casualties in the war. The Defense Casualty Analysis System provides statistics on American conflicts dating back to World War I.

Four U.S. soldiers killed in recent fighting between the U.S. and Iran were removed from the official Iran war death toll under Operation Epic Fury and placed in a new category labeled “Overseas Operations,” along with 207 others who were wounded.

The administration said the change was not an effort to obscure the human cost of the war but to address recent “anomalies” and “temporary data disruptions.”

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