Three days without reported US or Iranian strikes have opened space for mediator-led talks, with regional officials calling progress toward renewed negotiations and an interim ceasefire "significant."
Qatar and Pakistan are trying to bridge Washington and Tehran while Iran and Oman work on a Strait of Hormuz transit mechanism; Tehran says no direct US talks are underway and the waterway remains closed.
The lull has not stopped wider instability: Saudi Arabia said it downed drones aimed at petroleum facilities, Jordan intercepted two drones, and attacks were also reported in Iraq, though no casualties or damage were reported.
Shipping through Hormuz has fallen to a three-week low, the US military says its naval blockade continues, and the unresolved dispute still centers on Iran's nuclear program and control of a route vital to global oil flows.