U.S. pauses strikes on Iranian targets for a second day

The White House paused strikes on Iranian targets for a second straight day Sunday, creating space for diplomatic efforts even as the U.S. maintains its blockade on Iranian ports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supported President Trump's attempts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. 'If he can do so without returning to intense military fighting, that's fine,' Mr. Netanyahu said Sunday on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures.' 'But one way or the other, they have to end their nuclear program. With a deal or without a deal, that has to come to an end.' 

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said military action against Iran remains a possibility for the White House and that Mr. Trump is keeping all options on the table. Concerns about dwindling stockpiles of munitions, including interceptors needed to shoot down Iranian missiles, also factored into Mr. Trump's decision to hold off on plans for further escalation, according to a report in The New York Times. Mr. Waltz pushed back on reports that the U.S. stockpile of military hardware and munitions is running dry. Any claims that the U.S. does not have enough firepower in the Middle East were 'nonsense,' Mr. Waltz said on CBS News' 'Face the Nation.'

Sen. Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, said the White House is failing in Iran because the Trump administration began the mission without a strategic goal. 'At first ... this was about regime change. Then it became about nuclear weapons, then about ballistic missiles, then about the [Iranian] navy. This thing has been a disaster. It's been a disaster for the American people.'

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

enough for what we are currently doing.

all options are on the table.