Iran regional confrontation

US pauses air strikes on Iran after 13 consecutive nights

This version is a correction.

DIPLOMACY
Location
Iran (campaign-wide strike pause)
Actors
United States · Iran
Importance
Major

The United States halted nightly air strikes on Iran after a 13-night campaign ending 23–24 July, keeping the naval blockade on Iranian ports while Omani-mediated diplomacy over the Strait of Hormuz advanced.

ISW assessed that the United States had not conducted strikes inside Iran since 24 July 2026 while maintaining the port blockade. CBS News reported CENTCOM paused bombings Friday and Saturday after 13 consecutive strike nights, and US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz later framed the pause as giving diplomacy space. This package records the operational pause as a posture change, not a formal ceasefire agreement.

Verification: Confirmed

Evidence: U.S. pauses Iran strikes for second straight night as talks move in positive direction, Iran Update Special Report, July 26, 2026

Confirmed as multi-outlet reporting of an operational pause after the public 13-night CENTCOM chain; no formal bilateral ceasefire instrument is claimed here.