Iran halts retaliatory attacks on U.S. allies after Washington pauses strikes
TEHRAN, July 26: Iran on Sunday announced that it has suspended its retaliatory attacks against United States allies in the Middle East after Washington halted its military strikes on Iranian targets over the past two nights, raising hopes of a possible de-escalation in the nearly five-month-long conflict.
Iranian Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said Tehran’s military response had been purely retaliatory and was suspended after the United States stopped carrying out attacks.
“Our strategy has essentially been retaliatory. Since the Americans have stopped their attacks over the past two nights, we have also halted our retaliatory operations,” Akraminia said.
The conflict, which began around the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz, has steadily expanded beyond the vital energy corridor. Over the past several months, both sides have exchanged attacks targeting military installations, commercial shipping routes and U.S. allies across the Gulf region, while diplomatic efforts to end the hostilities repeatedly failed.
The latest pause in military operations has renewed optimism that Washington and Tehran could return to the negotiating table after nearly two weeks of sustained nightly U.S. air strikes.
However, reports in sections of the U.S. media suggested that the suspension of American attacks may also be linked to concerns over dwindling stocks of Patriot missile interceptors and other key defensive munitions, limiting Washington’s ability to sustain further military operations.
Although the reduction in hostilities has eased immediate tensions, analysts believe the situation remains fragile and warn that any renewed military action by either side could quickly reverse the recent progress and derail prospects for fresh diplomatic engagement.
— Agencies
