The United States' offensive at Iran came to a halt on Friday after President Donald Trump reportedly did not give a green light to the US military's plan to strike Iran after almost two weeks of everyday attacks.
Trump had been approving the strikes everyday over the past two weeks. However, after 13 days, he asked the US military not to conduct strikes at Iran on Friday, Axios reported citing two people familiar with the matter.
The move came as the US President hinted that the two sides are engaged in talks. Trump told reporters on Friday that Iranians are getting “more and more serious” as the days go by but maintained that the US could go back to taking the militray route whenever it wants.
"We're talking to [the Iranians] right now. 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," Trump said.
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Oman in the play?
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Oman in the play?
{{/usCountry}}According to the Axios report, the diplomatic road has reopened in the West Asia conflict as an Omani delegation is visiting Iran and working on an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and Oman could reach an arrangement over the weekend, the report said citing two regional sources.
What is Israel doing?
So far, Israel has shied away from the United States' renewed attacks on Iran but remained prepared for any retaliation that could come its way. According to Israeli officials, they were expecting another round of strikes on Friday but were later informed that it was not going to happen, the Axios report said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington next week.
Israel started the war alongside the United States against Iran by launching joint strikes on February 28. Now, Israel's distance from the fresh offensive may be a signal to Iranians that maybe their side is willing to “limit the conflict”, according to Michael Singh managing director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, reported Associated Press.
However, Singh also said that “the Iranians understand that perhaps it could get worse because Israel could come into the conflict”.
“If it turns into a multiday pause, that’ll be something significant. But it’s hard to know. Is it an operational pause? Is it a pause to allow for some kind of behind-the-scenes diplomacy?" he said.
US started attacking Iran again two weeks back over the latter's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz which controls the world's 20 per cent of oil trade and has been a sticking point throughout the conflict.
Houthis attack Saudi oil establishments
Even after pause in US' strikes on Iran, all was not well in West Asia as the war spilled to Red Sea and Caspian. Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia on Saturday, day after the latter struck the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida in Yemen.
Houthi's military spokesperson Brig Gen Yahya Saree said that the attacks targeted Aramco's facilities in Yanbu and Jizan cities in the Red Sea. Aramco is the world's largest oil company.
(With inputs from wires)