Axios: Trump halted Friday's strikes on Iran as Oman-mediated talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz progressed

Axios reported on Saturday, 25 July 2026, that Donald Trump ordered on Friday, 24 July, that planned US strikes on Iran not be carried out, while Oman-mediated talks on a possible deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz were making progress. The directive broke a run of thirteen consecutive nights of US strikes; US Central Command had said on Friday that it had completed its thirteenth straight night of attacks.

Separately, the New York Times reported that Trump has set aside, at least for now, plans for a sharp escalation of the American military assault on Iran. According to that report, one central concern is that intensifying the war would dangerously drain the diminished US stockpile of Patriot antimissile interceptors and other air defence munitions in West Asia. The New York Times added that Trump and his senior aides are also uneasy about a widening war, the alienation of Persian Gulf allies vulnerable to attack, a global economic crunch, and growing energy and refugee crises.

According to these reports, any Strait of Hormuz agreement would require Trump's approval, and the US military continues to keep options ready for a return to major combat operations, so strikes could resume at relatively short notice. Tanker traffic through the strait fell last week to its lowest level in months, and Brent crude topped 100 dollars on Thursday, 23 July, before giving back part of that gain on Friday. Any sign of a safe passage mechanism therefore feeds directly into global oil prices, the exchange rate and the Tehran bourse.