WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has paused military strikes against Iran to allow space for diplomatic efforts, Washington’s ambassador to the United Nations said on Sunday, as both sides signaled a temporary halt in hostilities.
“He’s giving talks some space, he’s giving it a little bit of room,” US Ambassador Mike Waltz told Fox News, without providing further details on the diplomatic contacts.
Waltz told “Fox News Sunday” that, while forces remained “locked and loaded,” Trump would give negotiations some room.
The comments came after a weekend lull in fighting between the United States and Iran. The Pentagon suspended its bombing campaign after 13 consecutive nights of strikes, while there were no reports over the weekend of Iranian attacks against neighboring countries.
The recent lull has revived hopes of a return to negotiations, although American media reported the pause could also reflect pressure on US stockpiles of Patriot interceptors and other defensive weapons.
Waltz dismissed this idea, in a second interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“I want to be crystal clear. The US military — and I’ve verified this every which way — has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be,” he insisted.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due at the White House on Tuesday, and is expected to urge Trump to continue to take a tough line on Tehran, in particular on its nuclear program.
A senior Trump administration official said on Saturday that the president continued to favor a diplomatic resolution despite the recent military escalation.
“He has always been clear that his preference is diplomacy, but he has shown Iran what will happen if they fail to come to the table in a serious way,” the official said.
A senior Iranian source also indicated that Tehran was prepared to maintain the pause, provided the United States refrains from launching further attacks.
“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,” the source told Reuters.
The source cautioned, however, that Iranian officials remained wary of Washington’s intentions.
“There is more skepticism than optimism about the halt in attacks. The prevailing view is that the pause is tactical rather than genuine,” the source said.
The pause follows nearly two weeks of military escalation between Washington and Tehran that heightened concerns of a wider regional conflict and prompted disruptions to shipping and air travel across the Middle East.
Both governments have continued to exchange warnings, although the latest comments suggest diplomatic channels remain open despite deep mistrust on both sides.
* With Reuters and AFP
