On July 26, Reuters quoted a senior Iranian official as saying that Iran would also suspend related attacks as long as the United States ceased military strikes against Iran. Previously, after nearly two weeks of air strikes, the United States paused its military actions. There was concern from the outside world whether this indicated a cooling of the conflict.
Reports say that the United States has been carrying out air strikes against Iran for 13 nights in a row. In response to these attacks, Iran has launched retaliatory strikes against neighboring countries where US military bases are located. However, the United States suspended its air strikes on Friday night local time (the 24th), and has not resumed operations until the weekend. Iran has also not carried out any new attacks for two consecutive days.
An Iranian official, who declined to disclose his name, said that Tehran's stance remains "responding to attacks with attacks", and if the US stops attacking, Iran will also cease action, "This information has already been conveyed to the US."
The US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mike Wirth, previously stated that the suspension of air strikes was to give more space for diplomatic negotiations. He said that the US wanted to "give some space to the negotiations," but did not provide any further details.
According to a US official quoted by Reuters, one of the important reasons for the suspension of military operations is that the continuous bombing over the past two weeks has exhausted many of the pre-established targets. At the same time, the military is concerned about the impact on ammunition stocks, including those used for air defense in the Middle East.
Reports indicate that the United States previously launched military actions in response to Iran’s threats regarding the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial energy transportation route worldwide, and its escalating conflict has become a focus of regional tensions.
However, Iran has not shown optimism regarding the US suspension of operations. The Iranian official mentioned that Tehran is “more skeptical than optimistic,” believing that the US suspension of attacks may be merely a “tactical adjustment,” rather than a real change in negotiating positions.
A merchant living in Tehran complained that many Iranians still feel uneasy about the situation, "Everyone is in a state of waiting." He said that neither the United States has ended the war nor carried out decisive attacks, and this uncertainty is exhausting.
