Day 150 | US pauses Iran strikes as diplomacy intensifies; Pentagon revises war casualty toll

US President Trump stated that frozen Iranian assets under US control will fund damages caused by Iran, particularly to ships and cargo in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We're going to use Iran's money to pay for the damage they do. In other words, the Iran money that we control will be used to pay for damages,” Trump says on Air Force One.

Trump says he will “ask Putin” when asked about reports that Moscow is giving Tehran satellite imagery and intelligence on US targets in the Middle East.

“So they may be giving. But if they are, it hasn't worked out, because they have no army. They have no airports. They have no navy. They have no nothing. So it hasn't worked out well,” Trump adds.

“I don't think -- I don't think they've been doing it. Certainly not at a high level. And if they have, it has been very unimpactful.”

Iran's joint military command center Khatam al-Anbiya said Monday that the United States threatened Iranian ships and oil tankers in the country's territorial waters over the past three days.

In a statement carried by Iranian media, the headquarters said Iran's armed forces "will not leave any US threat or hostile act unanswered" and vowed to confront any such actions.

US President Donald Trump shrugged off complaints by ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the sale of the F-35 jet to Turkey. 

"Nobody tells me what we should be selling or not,” Trump said on Air Force One when asked by a journalist about ‘Israeli’ opposition. 

US President Donald Trump voiced optimism Monday that diplomacy with Iran could produce a deal to end the months-long war, but warned that Washington would resume military strikes if negotiations failed.

"I have a lot of patience... We'll see what happens. I think there is a good chance that something could happen," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, when asked about possible progress in peace talks.

"If it doesn't, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago."

Iran and the United States have held their fire for three consecutive days after 13 nights of renewed US attacks, offering a narrow opening for diplomacy following the collapse of an earlier ceasefire agreement aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said Iranian leaders had requested a meeting and argued that "the only reason they want to meet is because we've been hitting them very hard."

Tehran, however, earlier denied that direct negotiations were under way, saying mediators were merely relaying messages from Washington.

The lull has eased pressure on global markets, but the conflict remains volatile. Saudi Arabia said Monday it had intercepted drones launched by Iran-linked groups in Iraq, while Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthis claimed attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.

Trump also dismissed concerns that five months of war had depleted US ammunition stocks.

"We have a lot of ammunition," he said. "We have a lot of the mid-level stuff too, more than we could ever use, no matter what."

He added that he would prefer larger reserves but complained that "so much was given to Ukraine" in its war with Russia.

Asked whether Saudi Arabia was considering joining the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered normalization agreements with ‘Israel’, Trump said: "We haven't talked, no."

Trump faced wide-ranging questions on foreign policy, including about what would happen to money seized from Venezuela.

Trump said it could be directed to the US military and suggested Washington could similarly extract funds from Iran.

"We are taking in a lot of money. Billions and billions of dollars," he said. "That will happen with Iran too."

President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed concerns that US ammunition stockpiles are running low after five months of bombing Iran, telling reporters: "We have a lot."

Asked aboard Air Force One if he was concerned about munitions being depleted, Trump said: "We have a lot of ammunition. We have a lot of the mid-level stuff too, more than we could ever use no matter what."

US President Donald Trump on Monday voiced optimism over the prospects for a peace deal in talks with Iran, as the two sides held their fire for a third consecutive day.

Asked on Air Force One how much patience he had for negotiations with the Islamic republic, Trump said: "I have a lot of patience... We'll see what happens. I think there is a good chance that something could happen."

US President Donald Trump said Monday he decided to pause the strikes on Iran to give negotiations with Tehran another chance.

"We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action," Trump told Axios.

"Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all,” he added, when asked about the timeframe of the negotiations.

"All of the people that deal with Iran asked me: 'Don't fire,'" he continued.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday that Tehran is not currently engaged in negotiations with the United States, while acknowledging that messages from Washington may be conveyed through intermediaries.

"Yes, intermediaries may convey messages from the American side to us regarding ongoing developments in the region. But at present, we are not engaged in any negotiations with the United States," Baqaei said.

His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington following recent military exchanges and a halt in fighting between the two sides.

Iranian media released a new AI lego video mocking US President Donald Trump, after he posted a number of memes overnight threatening Iran’s energy infrastructure.

The video depicts a US soldier struggling with the heat on Kharg Island, which is Iran’s main oil hub that Trump threatened multiple times.

“Kharg Island is too hot for those of you who are not from the island, go back to your own island,” the IRGC-affiliated Mehr News Agency said of the video.

Footage shared on social media showing what is said to be a US military LUCAS drone that crashed in northern Babylon, Iraq. 

US President Donald Trump, in statements to Hebrew Channel 12, said that he paused the strikes on Iran at the request of mediators to give diplomacy a chance, adding that he won’t give much time for Tehran to before going back to major strikes.

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the attempt to target oil facilities in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province and Riyadh using drones launched from Iraqi territory, denouncing the attacks as a flagrant violation of Saudi sovereignty and international law while reaffirming Amman's absolute solidarity with the Kingdom.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed Monday that its strikes on US military sites and bases in the region killed 200 American service members and wounded many more during the latest round of hostilities.

Speaking to Iran's Press TV, an IRGC spokesperson said Iranian military assessments indicated that the attacks resulted in the deaths of 200 US troops, while a larger number were injured. The claim could not be independently verified, and the United States has not commented on the figures.

The spokesperson also accused the United States of committing "war crimes" by targeting civilian infrastructure in Iran, including hospitals and water facilities, describing the attacks as a blatant violation of international law.

The IRGC further warned that any country providing support for or facilitating military operations against Iran would be considered a "legitimate target" for the Iranian armed forces in any future response.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington following recent military exchanges, raising concerns over the risk of further escalation across the region.

The Houthis military spokesperson claimed that their forces launched a strike using several drones targeting oil transportation and supply lines running from eastern Saudi Arabia to the western port city of Yanbu.

Saudi Ministry of Defense spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki announced that air defenses intercepted and destroyed multiple drones launched from Iraqi territory by Iran-affiliated terrorist militias targeting petroleum facilities in Riyadh and the Eastern Province, affirming the Kingdom's right to defend itself and respond at the appropriate time and place.

'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will hold key discussions with US President Donald Trump in Washington, placing top priority on addressing Iran's security threats while advancing plans to bolster 'Israel's' long-term defense and expand regional peace initiatives.

• Iran said its talks with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz are bilateral and do not involve the United States.
• Iranian and Omani deputy foreign ministers discussed mechanisms for safe shipping through the strait.
• Iran said it continues to control transit through the waterway and reported turning back six vessels that deviated from its designated route.
• Tehran said fighting has paused since Saturday while criticizing recent US actions.

Iran's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday that recent discussions with Oman regarding the administration and security of the strategic Strait of Hormuz do not involve the United States.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing, ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that the negotiations are strictly a bilateral matter between Tehran and Muscat, confirming that the strategic maritime passage "remains closed."

Bilateral negotiations only

Deputy foreign ministers from Iran and Oman held two days of discussions on Friday and Saturday, focusing on "common principles and operational mechanisms" to ensure the safe passage of commercial shipping through the waterway.

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz -a vital global shipping choke point- has been under Iranian control since the outbreak of war involving 'Israel' and the United States on February 28.

Iran maintains that it will retain ultimate control over the management of the strait, including the collection of service fees, while involving Oman in its capacity as a fellow coastal state.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards have actively enforced transit restrictions in recent days, turning back multiple vessels -including six ships on Monday- that attempted to navigate outside the route designated by the Islamic Republic.

Criticism of US conduct

The Strait of Hormuz has served as a central flashpoint between Iran and the United States, where fighting resumed earlier this month following the breakdown of an earlier ceasefire as both nations sought control over the passage.

The collapse of an Iran-US memorandum of understanding signed in June led to 13 consecutive days of military exchanges between the two sides.

Although active fighting has been on hold since early Saturday, Baghaei expressed deep skepticism regarding future diplomacy with Washington.

"So long as such behaviour by the United States continues, we cannot be hopeful about the emergence of a reasonable process," Baghaei stated, accusing US leadership of behaving "like a mafia gang that adheres to no rules or laws."

• Jordanian fighter jets intercepted and shot down two drones targeting the Kingdom.
• The operation caused no casualties or material damage.
• Royal Engineering Corps teams secured the crash sites and debris.
• The Jordanian Armed Forces reaffirmed continuous airspace monitoring and readiness to counter threats.

Royal Jordanian Air Force jets intercepted and shot down two drones targeting the territory of the Kingdom on Monday morning, according to an official statement issued by the General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces – Arab Army.

An official military source confirmed that the successful interception and downing of the two unmanned aircraft resulted in zero human casualties and no material damage.

Following the successful interception, specialized teams from the Royal Engineering Corps moved to the locations where shrapnel fell, handling the debris and securing the sites in accordance with standard technical and security procedures.

The military source stressed that the Jordanian Armed Forces – Arab Army continue to actively monitor the Kingdom’s airspace. The armed forces reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the highest levels of operational readiness to respond effectively to any threat targeting the security of the Kingdom and the safety of its citizens.

• An 'Israeli' military soldier was found dead at a military base in central 'Israel' on Sunday evening.
• The Military Police opened an official investigation into the incident.
• Military authorities notified the soldier's family, stating that no further details are currently being released.

An 'Israeli' military soldier was found lifeless on Sunday evening at a base in central 'Israel', military authorities confirmed to the Jerusalem Post on Monday.

The Military Police launched an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.

Upon completion, the investigative findings will be forwarded to the Military Advocate-General’s Office for official legal review.

Authorities hold additional details

Military authorities notified the soldier’s family following the discovery, issuing a statement expressing grief and offering ongoing support to the family during the investigation.

The military has not provided further details regarding the soldier's identity, cause of death, or specific circumstances, noting that additional information remains withheld while the Military Police investigation continues.