President Donald Trump has paused U.S. military strikes on Iran after nearly two weeks of daily bombing, creating space for diplomatic negotiations as top military officials warned the campaign had reached its limits. The pause, which began Friday evening, entered its third night on July 27, with Iran reciprocating by halting its own retaliatory attacks against U.S. allies in the region.
Admiral Bradley Cooper, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, advised Trump that the bombing campaign had exhausted its effectiveness and that American forces were facing dwindling stocks of munitions, including Patriot missile interceptors and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Cooper told Trump the military had nearly exhausted its list of pre-planned targets in Iran, according to reporting by Axios.
Vice President JD Vance and General Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reinforced these warnings during an Oval Office meeting on Friday, urging Trump to halt the military campaign and pursue diplomatic options. Vance, who has campaigned against U.S. military interventions in the Middle East, has grown increasingly vocal in his opposition to the Iran war.
The pause marks a significant shift after Trump declared a previous ceasefire “over” on July 8, triggering a new round of escalation. That earlier ceasefire, brokered in June, had temporarily halted hostilities and allowed limited shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—a critical waterway through which an estimated 20% of the world’s oil and gas flows.
Diplomatic negotiations have intensified during the pause. Iran’s army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia confirmed on Sunday that Tehran had halted its retaliatory operations, saying the U.S. had stopped attacks “over the past two nights.” Senior diplomats from Iran and Oman were reported to be holding talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key sticking point in negotiations. Iran has demanded payment and control over which ships pass through the waterway.
Trump’s UN ambassador Mike Waltz said the pause was designed to encourage diplomacy, though he cautioned that the president was “keeping all options on the table” regarding potential future strikes. Trump told reporters on Friday that Iran was “getting more and more serious as the days go by” in talks, and that he was “locked and loaded and ready to go, but we’re talking to them.”
Oil prices fell sharply in response to the pause. The Guardian reported that markets responded positively to the halt in combat, with crude prices declining as traders assessed reduced near-term conflict risk. This reverses the pattern seen on July 8, when Trump’s declaration that the ceasefire was "over" triggered oil prices to surge more than 6% and stock markets to decline worldwide.
The pause comes amid congressional pressure on Trump to end Iran hostilities, with the House passing a war powers resolution directing the president to cease military operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a vocal critic of U.S. negotiations with Iran, is expected to visit the White House on Tuesday to press Trump to maintain a harder line on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The conflict, which began in late February 2026, has seen multiple cycles of escalation and attempted de-escalation. A ceasefire agreement announced in June collapsed within weeks, leading to the renewed strikes that prompted this latest pause. Mediators, including officials from Oman and Qatar, continue working to broker a lasting settlement focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resolving disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and U.S. sanctions.
Sources
- The Guardian — military officials’ warnings about munitions and campaign limits, Vance and Caine’s role in advising Trump, Iran’s reciprocal pause, oil market response, Netanyahu’s planned visit
- Axios — Admiral Cooper’s assessment of target exhaustion and campaign effectiveness
- NBC News / Today Show — Mike Waltz statement on diplomatic pause and keeping options open
- Al-Monitor — Iran’s confirmation of halted attacks and ongoing diplomatic engagement
- Reuters / Associated Press — ceasefire history and diplomatic timeline
