Why has the US halted its bombing of Iran? - Al Jazeera

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the United States stopped striking Iran on Friday after almost two weeks of attacks, including around the Strait of Hormuz, following the collapse of an Islamabad-brokered ceasefire. The pause has also coincided with an end to Iranian retaliatory attacks on US military assets and infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, according to the report. President Donald Trump has denied suggestions that US weapons constraints are behind the halt, while US media reports cited by Al Jazeera say Washington may be short of air-defence interceptors.

The Strait of Hormuz remains the central flashpoint. Al Jazeera says Iran’s state broadcaster reported attempted ship movements through what Tehran called an unsafe, unauthorised route, with one vessel involved in an unspecified accident. The US military said its naval blockade of Iranian ports, including those in the strait, remains in place, even as direct strikes have paused. Oil prices reportedly fell about 4 percent after the exchange of missiles stopped.

Diplomatic activity appears to be intensifying. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told NBC News that the pause gives talks room to proceed. Al Jazeera also cites mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt and Pakistan, including a proposal for a 10-day halt in fighting, and says Iran and Oman have discussed a possible shared-management arrangement for reopening Hormuz.

Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera said both sides face high costs from continued escalation: pressure on energy markets and Gulf economies, damage inside Iran, and no clear military path to forcing concessions. The report frames the lull as a possible opening for diplomacy, while noting that unresolved disputes over Hormuz, Lebanon, and wider regional shipping routes could quickly revive tensions.