US Halts Iran Strikes Amid Caution On Munition. Mediators Dangle Peace Option Again

The US has paused military strikes in Iran after thirteen straight nights of pounding the country as diplomatic initiatives to stop the widening of the conflict began.

The US did not announce fresh strikes on Friday and regional allies have not reported retaliatory attacks by Iran, triggering talk that backroom negotiations have had some effect.

US President Donald Trump has dismissed suggestions that soaring gas prices in the aftermath of renewed fighting in the region would have an impact on November mid-term polls. US gas prices have risen 11 cents in the past week.

Though Trump does not seem to worry much about the escalation of hostilities, Vice President J D Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Cain have reportedly raised concerns during a White House meeting.

Caine's concerns are reportedly about dwindling US munitions stockpile and other potential negative implications, CNN reported quoting sources.

The stockpile issues was not the only concern raised to Trump, but there is no clarity on whether this was instrumental in the pause in the US bombardment of Iran. It is not clear what issues Vance raised, though a likelihood of a potential political backlash is being floated as his major concern.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said it would be better for Iran to work towards a negotiated deal. "Otherwise, they know what will happen," Cheung said in a statement.

Iran-backed Houthis have reportedly attacked Saudi vessels in its attempt to a blockade of the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key waterway that facilitates the flow of oil. Supply disruptions due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and energy cargoes passed before the conflict began, have already crippled the energy markets and led to soaring prices.

On the diplomatic front, an Omani delegation discussed ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz with Tehran, Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Tehran has slammed an ⁠Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. It has said a sailor was killed and another ⁠injured. Ukraine's diplomatic representative to Iran was summoned, Iranian state media reported.

Any involvement in the Middle East conflict by Ukraine would be detrimental to peace efforts, as it would reinforce Russia's tacit backing for Iran. Kyiv has claimed that it had to counter Iranian-designed drones deployed by Moscow in the Ukraine conflict. Ukraine has offered its drone ⁠interception expertise to countries in the Middle East attacked by Iran, irking Tehran.

Ukraine has also alleged that Russia was sharing satellite observations on military bases in the Middle East to Tehran, enabling Iran's precision strikes in the region, which has stumped many, including US observers.

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar have been carrying out a diplomatic outreach by exchanging messages between the US and Iran.

The efforts have the backing of China, which is reportedly worried about disruption of energy supplies and its prolonged impact.

The first approach of the international mediators is to consolidate the fresh pause in attacks and then roll out a path for the warring sides to return to the negotiating table. A two-week, initial ceasefire proposal is being floated.