Tehran, Iran. Iran said on Monday it remained in control of the Strait of Hormuz and was not seeking to resume peace talks with the United States after President Donald Trump paused a two-week bombing campaign.
Iran said it would halt its own attacks for as long as the US suspension of bombing continued.
US military advice
Trump halted the campaign over the weekend following 13 consecutive nights of intensified bombing, which had prompted Iran to fire on US bases in response.
A US official told Reuters that military commanders had advised Trump that the campaign, intended to break Iran’s control of the strait, had reached the limits of what it could achieve. The official said commanders were running out of targets.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, also raised concerns about dwindling air defence weapons used to protect US bases in the region, according to the official.
The New York Times, CNN, Axios and other media outlets reported over the weekend that civilian and military advisers had recommended halting the campaign.
Diplomatic response
US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Sunday that Trump had paused the campaign to create room for negotiations.
However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said during a televised press conference on Monday that Iran had not requested the resumption of peace talks with Washington.
Oil market reaction
Oil prices fell after the US decision, as markets anticipated that disrupted global supplies could begin flowing again.
Brent crude, which briefly rose above $100 a barrel last week for the first time since May, was down about 7.8% by mid-morning on Monday, trading just below $90 a barrel.
Strait traffic
Iranian state media reported that six ships had turned back in the Strait of Hormuz.
