The night on the third day passes without direct strikes between Iran and the United States, while US President Donald Trump meanwhile says there are “deep talks” with Tehran. At the same time, regional and international mediation efforts are being stepped up, aimed at finding a way out of the conflict. Despite the lull on the battlefield, no official ceasefire or signed agreement has been announced so far. The question is: is this a tacit truce, or simply a pause while the results of diplomatic contacts are awaited?
The calm came after 13 consecutive nights of American strikes on Iran, to which Tehran—according to its own statements—responded with attacks on “American bases and interests in the region.” According to Reuters, a senior Iranian official, speaking anonymously, said Tehran would pause its operations as long as Washington refrains from new strikes. Iran’s stance is based on a “strike for strike” principle. However, ending attacks does not mean the confrontation has ended: the US has not announced winding down its military campaign, and Iran has not renounced the right to respond, while key disputed issues remain unresolved.
On the American side, Trump’s statements add a political dimension to the lull. He said the US is conducting “very deep talks” with Iran, while warning that time is limited and that matters will either “move quickly or not at all.” Trump confirmed that he is prepared to use “powerful military action” if the dialogue fails, balancing between continuing negotiations and preserving the option of force. In another comment, he mentioned “good” talks and the possibility of “achieving something,” without going into details about communications channels or progress made.
Iran, for its part, links the halt to its operations to the continuation of the pause in American strikes, without announcing a formal agreement. Iran’s foreign ministry claims that Tehran has not requested that talks with Washington be resumed, and that its public position has not changed. Nevertheless, according to Reuters, Iranian authorities have already sent the US a signal that operations would be suspended while Washington refrains from strikes. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps emphasizes that the clashes do not amount to a full-scale war, but are a “response to American aggression,” and that attacks by Iranian forces targeted US military sites in retaliation for strikes on Iran.
Sources from Al Jazeera reveal that an Iranian technical group is in China, studying a Chinese proposal that could later be passed on to the United States. This points to a parallel diplomatic track running in the background as strikes are halted. The group is analyzing the initiative’s points before sending it to the American side; details of the document’s contents and the stage of consultations are not disclosed. This does not guarantee that Iran will accept the proposal in its final form, but it shows that the issue has been practically worked on in parallel with contacts and mediation.
In the current situation, there are no elements of an official ceasefire in the classic sense: there is no joint document, set timelines, or a clear mechanism for responding to potential violations. However, the facts indicate a mutual pause in hostilities that coincides with Trump’s remarks about talks, mediation maneuvers, and the initiative under discussion. The lull remains “fragile” due to Trump’s threat to resume the military operation if the dialogue fails, as well as because disagreements persist over the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear program, sanctions, and guarantees. The conflict has temporarily moved from exchanging strikes to testing negotiation and mediation channels, and the future of calm depends directly on whether the current talks succeed.
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What is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and how is it different from Iran’s regular army? — The IRGC is an elite military-political formation created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to protect the ideological system. Unlike the regular army (Artesh), the IRGC is directly subordinate to the Supreme Leader rather than the Ministry of Defense, and has its own land, naval, and air forces, as well as intelligence and economic structures. The IRGC also controls the ballistic missile program and supports allied armed groups abroad (for example, Hezbollah). The Artesh focuses on traditional border defense and is not involved in ideological activities outside Iran.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz constantly mentioned in the context of the conflict between Iran and the US? — The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow 33-kilometer sea passage through which about 20–25% of the world’s seaborne trade in oil passes. Iran is located along the northern coast of the strait and has historically threatened to block it in response to sanctions or military pressure. Any attempt by Iran to close the strait would cause a sharp rise in energy prices and trigger a global economic crisis, so the US constantly keeps a naval task force there to ensure freedom of navigation. That makes the strait a key flashpoint in any Iran-US confrontation.
What role does China play in Iran-US talks and why does Iran see it as a mediator? — China is Iran’s largest trading partner and buyer of Iranian oil despite US sanctions. In 2021, Iran and China signed a 25-year agreement on strategic cooperation covering the economy, energy, and infrastructure. Iran views China as a neutral power that can ease pressure from Washington, and also as an alternative to the Western financial system. Beijing is interested in stability in the Middle East to protect its energy supplies and the Belt and Road project, so Chinese diplomats act as informal mediators, seeking to balance the parties’ interests without direct confrontation with the US.
Full version: Three nights without strikes.. What do we know about a de facto truce between Washington and Tehran?