2-week U.S.-Iran airstrike pause
After nearly two weeks of intensive mutual airstrikes, both the U.S. and Iran halted attacks over the weekend and began exchanging diplomatic messages.
Snapshot · Up First from NPR
Seattle Shooting, Iran War Pause, Midterm Elections
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Jul 27, 2026
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Iran War Pause
At 8:51 · chapter starts 5:25
The sudden quiet over the weekend marked a significant, if fragile, shift in the U.S.-Iran war. NPR's Jane Arraf, reporting from Amman, Jordan, explained that after nearly two weeks of intense strikes — the U.S. attacking Iranian military targets and infrastructure, and Iran retaliating against U.S. bases in Jordan and Gulf countries — neither side launched new attacks across the weekend. [1] — Jane Arraf "After nearly two weeks of U.S. strikes on Iranian military infrastructure and Iranian counterstrikes on U.S. bases in Jordan and Gulf count…" 08:51 The explanation came from U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, who told NBC's Meet the Press that President Trump was 'giving talks some space' and that negotiations were ongoing 'at every level.' Waltz also maintained that Trump was keeping 'all options on the table.' On the Iranian side, the picture was deliberately murky: Tehran's army spokesperson confirmed halting attacks in sync with the U.S., and Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Bagheri acknowledged that messages had been exchanged through Oman. But Bagheri was emphatic that Iran had not asked for talks and that no formal negotiations with the U.S. were underway — a diplomatic distinction that signals Tehran is unwilling to be seen as capitulating. Both sides' deep mutual distrust, as Arraf noted, is expected, but it underscores just how precarious this pause really is.
U.S.-Iran War Pauses After Two Weeks of Airstrikes
After nearly two weeks of U.S. strikes on Iranian military infrastructure and Iranian counterstrikes on U.S. bases in Jordan and Gulf countries, both sides went quiet over the weekend. Ambassador Mike Waltz said Trump is 'giving talks some space,' but Iran insists it is not in formal negotiations.
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