New Delhi: The United States has paused its airstrikes on Iran after nearly two weeks of intensified bombing, as diplomatic efforts gather pace to prevent the conflict from escalating again. The latest pause has raised hopes of de-escalation, although the United States president, Donald Trump, has continued to keep the possibility of further military action open.
Trump said Washington has two options – continue military operations against Iran or negotiate with Tehran, adding that talks are currently underway. He also said Iran was becoming increasingly serious about negotiations, although he maintained that Tehran was not yet ready to reach a deal.
A media reports said Trump met senior national security aides on Friday to discuss whether to maintain the current approach or intensify attacks. No US strikes were reported overnight in Iran after 13 consecutive nights of American attacks.
Diplomatic efforts are also focused on easing the standoff around the Strait of Hormuz. A regional official involved in mediation said both the US and Iran want to return to the interim ceasefire arrangement, with negotiations centred on allowing Iran to manage vessel transit through the waterway while reducing restrictions on ships.
The official described the pause in US strikes and Iranian attacks on neighbouring countries hosting American forces as a positive signal for de-escalation.
The situation remains uncertain ahead of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned meeting with Trump in Washington next week. Israel has so far remained absent from the renewed American attacks linked to Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran condemns Ukraine attack on commercial vessel
Meanwhile, Iran has accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, saying one sailor was killed and another injured. Tehran described the incident as an act of aggression and summoned Ukraine’s diplomatic representative, according to Iranian state media.
Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, separately claimed that Ukraine had carried out long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea against vessels involved in military cargo shipments connected to Iran. He also accused Russia of sharing satellite observations from the Middle East with Iran to help Tehran direct strikes in the region.
Zelenskyy further claimed that Russia was preparing to receive 30,000 North Korean troops and said preparations had been underway in Russia’s Voronezh region since June. He also alleged that North Korea was preparing to supply Russia with new ballistic missile launchers.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict also saw fresh violence, with Russian-installed authorities in Zaporizhzhia claiming that a Ukrainian drone attack on a holiday camp killed 12 people, including five children. Kyiv had not immediately responded to the allegation.
In Kyiv, Russian forces launched an overnight attack early Sunday, with falling debris triggering fires in at least three districts, according to the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko. Ukraine’s air force said ballistic missiles had targeted the capital, while no immediate casualties were reported.
Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, meanwhile said a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine could be possible if both sides freeze the conflict and resume negotiations. He made the remarks during a meeting with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin in Omsk.