US Iran strikes pause enters second day as tanker explodes in Hormuz
The US and Iran halted attacks for a second day as diplomats pushed to revive a June ceasefire framework, Al Jazeera reported.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
The US Iran strikes pause entered a second day, opening a narrow space for diplomacy after nearly two weeks of escalating attacks. Al Jazeera reported that both Washington and Tehran had stopped military strikes, while Iranian officials separately confirmed an oil tanker explosion in the Strait of Hormuz.
Al Jazeera correspondent Rosalinda Jordan, reporting from Washington, said US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz confirmed on Sunday that the Trump administration had paused strikes for an unspecified period. The move followed 13 consecutive nights of US attacks on Iranian military targets, according to Jordan.
Iranian officials also confirmed the suspension of responses, Al Jazeera reported. The pause came after mediators including Pakistan, Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries urged the two sides to step back and restore talks.
Why did the US and Iran pause strikes?
Jordan reported that the pause was intended to give diplomacy a chance after fears that the conflict could spread across the region. The US has said Iran violated a memorandum of understanding by striking at least two or three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz three weeks ago, according to Al Jazeera.
The memorandum of understanding, signed in mid-June, centered on a ceasefire between the sides, Al Jazeera reported. US President Donald Trump and Iranian officials have confirmed the diplomatic effort, but Jordan said it remained unclear whether the talks would bring the agreement back into force.
Global oil prices fell by more than 5 percent after the US stopped its two-week bombing campaign against Iran, according to Al Jazeera’s recap of developments. The drop reflected market expectations that the pause could mark a shift toward negotiations.
What happened in the Strait of Hormuz?
Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar Atas, reporting from Tehran, said Iranian officials confirmed that an oil tanker exploded after hitting naval mines while trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials said the vessel had not followed lanes designated by Iranian authorities.
Iranian authorities warned that ships passing through the strait must coordinate fully with them, Atas reported. They said Iran could not guarantee the safety of vessels that did not do so.
The tanker incident came after two days without attacks on Iran and without an Iranian response, according to Atas. The report did not give the tanker’s name, flag, crew status or damage details.
Other developments reported in the region
Al Jazeera reported that Trump rejected claims that US military stockpiles were running low, telling The Wall Street Journal that the country had more munitions than it currently needed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that a strike on an Iranian merchant ship in the Caspian Sea “cannot go unanswered,” Al Jazeera reported. Araghchi accused Ukraine of carrying out the attack, which killed a crew member.
Al Jazeera also reported rising violence in the West Bank during a broad Israeli military push, saying settlers entered villages, painted slogans on property and attacked Palestinian residents. The Lebanese military accused Israeli forces of breaching agreements by demolishing homes and carrying out strikes in southern Lebanon.
In Gaza, displaced Palestinians cautiously welcomed Israel’s approval for an International Stabilization Force to enter under a US-backed ceasefire plan, according to Al Jazeera. Residents said they hoped the force could help rebuild Gaza and enable them to return home after months of bombardment and displacement.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.