US-Iran brinkmanship: Trump halts strikes, Gulf states shift

Trump ordered a halt to strikes on Iran, breaking 13 days of daily bombings, as the US and UK discuss a naval force for the Strait of Hormuz.

US-Iran brinkmanship: Trump halts strikes, Gulf states shift — US President Donald Trump ordered the American military on Friday not to carry out another wave of strikes on Iran, breaking a streak of 13 consecutive days of daily bombings. The decision was made out of a desire to give diplomacy a chance, though Trump clarified that the military option remains on the table and even threatened to "wipe out everything they have." [^1] The halt came after a Pentagon warning about a shortage of interceptor missiles, according to reports. [^2] Meanwhile, the US and UK are discussing the creation of an international naval force to protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The idea arose from a conversation between new UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. A summit in London may include defense ministers and military commanders from 40 countries. [^3] Iran has responded by warning that if Britain aids the US, it will become a legitimate target. [^4] In the Gulf, Bahrain and Kuwait launched fighter jets at targets in Iran earlier this month, marking a shift in Gulf states' policy, torn between avoiding confrontation and an ongoing existential threat. Iran is employing a strategy of sowing confusion: it focuses fire only on Bahrain and Kuwait while sparing other Gulf members, making it difficult to form a unified Arab or regional response. [^5] The Houthis, backed by Iran, launched two ballistic missiles at oil refineries in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi-led coalition struck Houthi military targets in Yemen. [^6] West Bank security: officer killed, IDF reinforces as tensions spike — Major Yuval Ezra, 27, a battery commander in Battalion 411 from Beit Dagan, was killed yesterday (Friday) by terrorist fire near the village of Tel in the Nablus area. He had been on weekend leave and was called up; he and his fiancée had set a wedding date of June 9, 2027.[^1] Hours later, a drone fell near National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's home in Kiryat Arba, causing panic before the IDF determined it contained no explosives and belonged to a local teenager.[^2] A senior officer in the Central Command described a 'very tense situation' in