Why did the U.S. stop striking Iran?
Plus: Pentagon changes Iran war casualty reporting; Saudi Arabia under drone attack; U.S. pauses attacks for third night in a row, causing oil prices to drop.
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After 13 straight nights of U.S. strikes on Iran—and Iranian retaliation—the strikes just... stopped.
Why? Is this a genuine move toward diplomacy? Is the U.S. running low on munitions needed to defend itself, increasing the risk to American troops? Are upcoming elections in both Israel and the U.S. creating pressure for peace? Does Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to Washington have something to do with it?
Plus: the Bab al-Mandab and the strikes on Saudi oil infrastructure. How do they fit into the bigger picture?
Pyotr Kurzin from The Global Gambit is here to answer all your questions about this sudden pause.
Editor’s note:
We are reporting human-interest stories and bringing you expert opinions to make sure you have a one-stop-shop on all things Iran war. Let us bring you along!
Have a friend who might want this coverage, too?
The latest news at this hour:
By: Kateryna Antonenko, Oleksandra Khelemendyk
PENTAGON CHANGES IRAN WAR CASUALTY REPORTING: After criticism about hiding the real number of U.S. troops killed and wounded during the war, the Pentagon has changed the way it reports war casualties. Casualties before July 7 are listed on the Pentagon website, whereas casualties after July 7 are listed on a separate website.
Last week, The New York Times reported that the number of fallen U.S. servicemen was underreported.
SAUDI ARABIA UNDER DRONE ATTACK: On Monday, the Defense Ministry of Saudi Arabia said that the country’s air defenses had intercepted drones launched from Iraq.
The drones were launched by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, according to Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense. Yesterday, Yemen’s Houthis also claimed to have targeted oil facilities of Saudi Arabia that were owned by the company Aramco.
U.S. PAUSES ATTACKS FOR THIRD NIGHT IN A ROW: After 13 days in a row of bombardment, the U.S. has once again paused bombing for the third night in a row. Axios has reported that this decision was supported by advice from Trump’s top military advisers.
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations said that the pause in strikes came in the hopes that the pause would allow for negotiations with Iran. However, other reports have indicated officials have raised concerns with Trump over depleting munition stockpiles and the effectiveness of military action in Iran.
…CAUSING OIL PRICES TO DROP: On Monday, the prices for crude oil fell by about 7 percent and hit the lowest since July 20. This followed a weekend without Iran and the U.S. exchanging any attacks. The Brent crude benchmark fell by $7.55 to $89.23 per barrel.
Stay safe out there!
Best,
Jacqueline
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Since when does POTUS listen to top military advisors? If he had, we wouldn't be in this war.