US suspends Iran strikes after military warns campaign has reached its limits: Report | Today’s news
The United States suspended strikes on Iran for a third straight night after senior military officials reportedly informed President Donald Trump that the bombing campaign had reached its limits, even as Tehran said it was not seeking to resume talks with Washington.
Senior officials reportedly warned Trump that dwindling stockpiles of precision munitions and a shrinking list of viable military targets had reduced the effectiveness of the ongoing strikes.
According to Axios, Admiral Bradley Cooper, the top US military commander in the region, told Trump that the US had almost exhausted its list of targets in Iran, prompting the president to hold off on further strikes and consider diplomatic options.
Did not ask for talks to resume: Iran
The lull in fighting has fueled hopes of a resumption of diplomacy after nearly two weeks of conflict.
However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday rejected suggestions that Tehran was seeking new talks with Washington.
“We have not asked for the resumption of talks with the United States. It is not in our DNA,” Baghaei said, according to Reuters.
He added that while mediators continued to exchange messages between Tehran and Washington, there were no direct talks between the two countries.
Baghaei also said that discussions between Iran and Oman on the management of the Strait of Hormuz were “positive”, but maintained that the situation in the strategic waterway remained unchanged and that the strait was still closed.
He further claimed that some Gulf countries were involved in America’s war with Iran without naming them.
Military options remain on the table: Trump
US President Donald Trump insists military options remain on the table despite the operational pause.
“We’re talking to them right now. We’re locked and loaded and ready to go, but we’re talking to them,” Trump said Friday.
The easing of hostilities comes as mediators seek to prevent a return to full-scale conflict, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expected to discuss Iran with Trump during a visit to the White House on Tuesday, The Guardian reported.
