US ambassador claims Trump halted Iran strikes to allow for diplomacy

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations President Donald Trump has suspended military strikes against Iran to allow more space for diplomacy and to give Tehran a chance to re-enter negotiations, Mike Waltz said.

Speaking to US reporters, Waltz said President Trump wanted more time for talks but gave no further specifics on the nature or extent of any possible negotiations.

President Trump ordered the US military to stop operations against Iran after 13 days of attacks in a row, news sources said.

But it is not yet obvious whether the respite is short or the start of a wider ceasefire.

Concerns about intensifying the conflict were discussed with the White House by Vice President JD Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine during a high-level meeting, media sources reported.

The Pentagon’s top general in the Middle East secretly warned that while large-scale military operations against Iran might be restarted, doing so may dangerously deplete the US Central Command’s inventory of interceptor missiles, the New York Times reported.

The US media reportedly said the suspension of the strikes coincided with a visit to Iran by Omani officials.

The sources said the Omani envoy came to Tehran to prepare the ground for possible discussions between the two parties.