Why has the US halted its bombing of Iran?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that the United States stopped carrying out strikes on Iran on Friday after almost two weeks of bombardment, a pause that also coincided with an end to Iranian retaliatory attacks on US-linked military assets and infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. The halt followed the collapse of an Islamabad-brokered ceasefire and came as tensions remained high around the Strait of Hormuz, which the report said is still closed despite the lull in direct exchanges.

According to the report, Washington has not publicly given a detailed reason for stopping the attacks. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told NBC News that President Donald Trump was allowing negotiations room to proceed. Al Jazeera also cited US media reports, denied by Trump, suggesting concerns that Washington may be running low on air defence interceptors.

The article said economic pressure is a major factor. Iranian-American economist Nader Habibi told Al Jazeera that renewed fighting had driven crude prices above $100 a barrel and raised costs for both sides: Gulf economies were exposed to Iranian strikes, while Iran faced damage to infrastructure, sanctions, a naval blockade and fuel shortages. Oil prices reportedly fell about 4 percent after the US and Iran stopped trading missile attacks.

Diplomatic efforts are continuing through regional mediators including Qatar, Egypt and Pakistan, with a recent proposal for a 10-day pause. Oman is also involved in discussions on reopening Hormuz under a shared management arrangement. Al Jazeera noted that unresolved disputes over shipping routes, Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, Houthi attacks near the Red Sea and a Ukrainian strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea continue to complicate any broader settlement.