US halts strikes on Iran for second day as mediators intensify diplomacy

Pause in hostilities

Iran passed a second consecutive night without reported US airstrikes early Sunday after two weeks of sustained bombardment, as Pakistan and Qatar intensified back-channel efforts to secure a broader de-escalation between Washington and Tehran.

No explosions or air raid reports were recorded across the Islamic Republic overnight into Sunday, marking the first pause in hostilities since US President Donald Trump directed the military to halt strikes on Saturday, according to Axios. The lull follows two weeks of sustained bombardment targeting military infrastructure, coastal surveillance systems, missile and drone facilities, naval assets and logistics sites that have killed 57 people and injured 629 others since Thursday, Iran’s Health Ministry and the US Central Command said.

Regional mediation

Pakistani government sources told Anadolu on Sunday that Islamabad and Doha have intensified the exchange of messages between the warring sides after Washington and Tehran communicated their responses to a joint formula to end the months-long war. The mediators urged both nations to return to their pre-July 9 positions “as a first step” to resume stalled talks for a permanent settlement, an official familiar with the matter said.

The proposed de-escalation comes after a June memorandum of understanding — including a ceasefire brokered by Qatari and Pakistani mediation — collapsed when Trump declared the truce over on July 8. Washington demands that Tehran halt attacks on commercial shipping and guarantee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran insists that vessel transits be governed by a mechanism it administers through the strategic waterway along its coastline.