Iran has announced it will cease its attacks as long as the United States does the same, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday. This comes amid the U.S. halting its bombing operations after President Donald Trump’s advisors informed him they were running low on targets and expressed concerns about depleting the military’s arsenal.
Following thirteen consecutive nights of escalating U.S. airstrikes against Iran, the Pentagon suspended the campaign late Friday, with no U.S. attacks reported on Saturday or Sunday. Iran, which had responded to each night’s U.S. strikes with its own retaliations against neighboring countries hosting U.S. bases, has also paused fire for the last two days.
The anonymous Iranian official stated to Reuters that Tehran’s stance remains “attack for attack”: if American strikes cease, Iran will also halt its operations. This message has reportedly been conveyed to U.S. authorities.
U.S. UN ambassador Mike Waltz expressed on “Fox News Sunday” that President Trump paused the attacks to provide space for diplomacy, although he didn’t specify further details. Recently, U.S. military leaders have indicated that the strikes aimed at deterring threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz— a vital waterway for global oil transit— have largely exhausted their predefined target set.
Resuming large-scale hostilities is still on the table, but Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine has privately advised Trump that such a move could be risky, especially considering the potential depletion of munitions, including missile interceptors used in Middle Eastern air defenses.
Caine’s office and U.S. Central Command declined to comment, with military officials traditionally avoiding public discussion of private advice given to the president. On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Waltz remarked that the U.S. military “has everything it needs,” but also noted that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth inherited a depleted stockpile when taking over under the Trump administration.
The senior Iranian source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters they are skeptical that Trump’s decision to pause the strikes signals a genuine shift in U.S. negotiation tactics. “There’s more skepticism than optimism about the halt in attacks. The general view is that the pause is tactical, not genuine. Iran has experienced enough U.S. deception to doubt that this will last,” they said.
Over the past two weeks, the U.S. has conducted nightly strikes in retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded by targeting water desalination plants in nearby Gulf Arab states. Iran insists it aims to control the strait, a crucial route through which about 20% of the world’s oil has historically flowed, prior to the current conflict.
The renewed U.S. military strikes have significantly undermined last month’s temporary agreement aimed at ending the conflict. President Trump’s decision to pause the strikes reportedly followed a meeting where military and political advisors, including Vice President JD Vance, expressed reservations. Reports indicate Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, advised halting the campaign, citing limited effectiveness.
Meanwhile, residents in Iran remain anxious. Nader, a 49-year-old business owner in Tehran, expressed doubt that the pause will last, stating, “Everyone is stuck in limbo. Trump is playing games with Iran. He’s neither ending the war nor striking decisively. It’s exhausting.”