The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Iran will suspend its military attacks as long as the United States continues to pause its bombing campaign, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday, July 27, 2026, as Washington temporarily halted airstrikes to allow more time for diplomacy.
According to Reuters, the Pentagon suspended its air
campaign against Iran late on Friday, July 25, following 13 consecutive nights
of strikes. No U.S. attacks were reported on Saturday or Sunday. Iran, which
had responded to the U.S. strikes by targeting neighboring countries hosting
American military bases, has also refrained from launching attacks for two
days.
The Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity,
said Tehran's position remains based on the principle of "attack for
attack," adding that Iran would stop its operations if U.S. attacks cease.
The official said the message had already been conveyed to Washington.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told Fox
News Sunday that President Donald Trump decided to pause the bombing campaign
to create additional space for diplomatic efforts. However, he did not provide
further details about the negotiations.
Reuters reported that U.S. military officials have warned
that two weeks of airstrikes had largely exhausted the list of pre-selected
targets and raised concerns about the depletion of U.S. weapons stockpiles,
including missile interceptors used by American air defense systems in the
Middle East.
Despite the pause, Reuters said senior Iranian officials
remain skeptical that Washington's decision signals a lasting policy shift. One
Iranian source said Tehran believes the suspension is likely a tactical move
rather than a genuine step toward ending the conflict, citing what it described
as previous U.S. deception.
The latest escalation followed U.S. strikes that Washington
said were retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,
while Iran responded by targeting water desalination facilities in neighboring
Gulf Arab states. Tehran continues to insist on maintaining control over the
strategic waterway, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil
shipments passed before the conflict intensified.
Reuters also reported that several senior U.S. military and
political advisers, including top commanders, had expressed concerns about
continuing the bombing campaign, arguing that its effectiveness had diminished
and that further operations could increase military risks.
Meanwhile, residents in Iran expressed uncertainty about the
future of the conflict. A Tehran-based businessman told Reuters that many
Iranians remain in limbo, doubting the current pause in hostilities will lead
to a lasting end to the fighting.
