Iran reported no new US strikes overnight into Saturday for the first time in two weeks, a possible sign of de-escalation as both sides confirmed that talks over the conflict remain active even as diplomatic disputes persist over the Strait of Hormuz.
The apparent lull followed a sharp expansion of US military operations, with strikes reaching deep into Iranian territory as far as the Caspian Sea region. Washington had threatened further action against Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen over attacks near the entrance to the Red Sea, widening the war to a second key shipping chokepoint.
Iran has blamed the United States for the escalating dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage through which a significant share of the world’s seaborne oil transits. Both governments nonetheless acknowledged that negotiations were continuing, though the diplomatic picture remained clouded by conflicting accounts.
Earlier reporting indicated that Tehran had rejected a US ceasefire proposal, delivered via an intermediary, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio having claimed a day earlier that Iran was seeking a truce. That account was subsequently disputed, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the state of talks.
The conflict has escalated rapidly in recent weeks, with earlier exchanges seeing missile and drone fire directed at US bases and regional allies. The current phase follows months of rising friction that began with a US military buildup in the region and a series of confrontations over the strategic waterways of the Gulf.
Domestically, the US Defense Department is facing mounting scrutiny over its handling of information about American casualties. The Pentagon has not held a press briefing for two and a half months, prompting accusations that officials are withholding the true human cost of the campaign.
“The Pentagon is taking a shameful approach to releasing information about US casualties,” said Leon Panetta, a former defense secretary and CIA director, criticizing what he described as belated or inaccurate disclosures of figures.
Critics contend the reduced transparency is aimed at limiting public backlash ahead of November’s midterm elections, while officials have not offered a detailed public accounting of losses sustained during the fighting.
The reported pause in strikes offers a fragile opening for diplomacy, but with no formal ceasefire in place and both sides trading blame over the Hormuz standoff, the trajectory of the conflict remains uncertain. Attention now turns to whether the quiet holds and whether ongoing talks can produce a durable halt to hostilities.