US holds fire against Iran as media reports say Washington's stockpiles are dwindling

Iran passed another night without US air strikes on Sunday, as Washington paused a war nearing its fifth month and reports emerged that concerns over dwindling munitions were restraining plans for further escalation. There have also been no weekend reports of Iranian retaliatory strikes on countries in the region hosting US military assets. The lull has revived hopes of a return to negotiations after nearly two weeks of consecutive nightly US bombardments, although US media reported the pause could also reflect pressure on stockpiles of Patriot interceptors and other defensive weapons. Fighting over the strategic Strait of Hormuz derailed diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran, but the conflict then expanded beyond the vital energy corridor to include attacks on US bases, regional shipping and Gulf allies. Watch moreWar, talks, repeat: How to break the cycle between US and Iran? However, US operations against Iran were "on a hold", CNN reported, quoting an unidentified Pentagon source, even as US President Donald Trump threatened a "much higher level" of strikes on Friday. Plans to escalate the campaign have been shelved in part because of those shrinking supplies, the Ne...