Trump says Iran war talks taking place during lull in strikes

However, Trump cautioned that the U.S. would resume its previous actions if the current negotiations fail. Tehran has denied that any direct negotiations are currently taking place. Trump stated his decision to pause U.S. strikes on Friday was prompted by mediators asking for another chance for the talks, a move Iran has mirrored by halting its own attacks.

This pause follows nearly two weeks of daily U.S. strikes and retaliatory actions that had effectively ended a ceasefire agreed upon in June. The U.S. military had previously stated that its strikes were intended to "degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz." Aboard the presidential plane, Trump also addressed media reports suggesting that U.S. ammunition stockpiles were running low after five months of fighting, dismissing them and stating that "We have a lot of ammunition."

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly corroborated this, stating the U.S. military "has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of President Trump's strategic goals and beyond." She added that the president has urged defense contractors to produce more American-made weapons. The conflict began with U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, leading to retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran on U.S. military bases and targets within Israel. A memorandum of understanding signed in June aimed to cease military operations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with a 60-day window for a war agreement. However, after Iran attacked tankers on July 13, the U.S. resumed air strikes and its naval blockade, prompting further retaliation from Tehran that resulted in the deaths of four American soldiers.