The United States has paused strikes on Iran for a third consecutive night after senior military officials reportedly advised President that the bombing campaign had reached the limits of its effectiveness, even as Tehran said it had not sought to resume talks with Washington.
Senior officials are reported to have warned Trump that dwindling stocks of precision munitions and a shrinking list of viable military targets had reduced the effectiveness of continued strikes.
According to Axios, Admiral Bradley Cooper, the top commander in the region, told Trump the US had nearly exhausted its list of targets in Iran, prompting the president to halt further strikes while weighing diplomatic options.
Not asked for the resumption of talks: Iran
The pause in fighting has fuelled hopes of renewed diplomacy after nearly two weeks of conflict.
However, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday rejected suggestions that Tehran had sought fresh negotiations with Washington.
“We have not asked for the resumption of talks with the United States. It’s 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 discussions between Iran and Oman over the management of the Strait of Hormuz had been “positive”, but maintained that the situation in the strategic waterway remained unchanged and that the strait was still closed.
He further alleged that some Gulf countries had been involved in the US war on Iran without naming them.
Military options remain on table: Trump
US President Donald Trump has maintained that 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 on Friday.
The lull in 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 White House visit on Tuesday, The Guardian reported.
