Why has the US halted its bombing of Iran?

The United States paused strikes on Iran on Friday after nearly two weeks of bombardments, including in the Strait of Hormuz, since the Islamabad-brokered ceasefire unravelled.Washington has not carried out attacks targeting Iran, preventing Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on US military assets and infrastructure in countries in the region.Although US President Donald Trump has denied it, media reports there said Washington may be running low on air defence interceptors, while pressure is mounting on both sides to give diplomacy another chance amid heightened stakes.Here’s what we know about why the US has halted its attacks and what is happening in diplomatic channels.Iranians walk past a billboard depicting Trump in a coffin alongside the slogan ‘We Kill Trump’ in Tehran, Iran [File: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA]What is the situation now?Despite the sudden lull in the exchange of strikes, the Strait of Hormuz – the critical waterway that has emerged as one of the biggest flashpoints in this war – remains closed.Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that six ships had attempted to pass through an “illegal and unsafe” route in the south of the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of Monday...