US pauses attacks on Iran for a second day as peace talks continue

The US has paused strikes on Iran for a second night as diplomatic negotiations to avoid a return to full-out war continued on Sunday. Donald Trump is said to be weighing up diplomatic and military options in the nearly five-month-old conflict, with Benjamin Netanyahu expected to visit the White House on Tuesday. Tehran said on Sunday it would pause what it called "retaliatory" attacks against US allies in the region. "These [US] attacks continued until two nights ago, but over the past two nights the Americans have stopped their attacks," said army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia. "Our strategy has essentially been retaliatory, we have also halted our retaliatory operations." Senior diplomats from Iran and Oman were said to be holding negotiations on Sunday on reopening the vital waterway. Caine warned Trump about dwindling munitions stockpiles, which include Patriot missile interceptors and offensive weapons like Tomahawk cruise missiles. Vance campaigned on his opposition to US military interventions in the Middle East and has grown more vocal in his opposition to the war in Iran. "We're talking to [the Iranians] right now," Trump told reporters on Friday. "I think they're getting more and more serious as the days go by. We're locked and loaded and ready to go, but we're talking to them."