The US military said on Saturday that its naval blockade of Iran "remains in full effect" but did not explain why it had halted a series of 13 consecutive nights of escalating strikes.
There were also no reported Iranian attacks on neighbouring countries over the weekend, breaking the pattern of daily retaliatory strikes seen in recent weeks.
A senior official in President Donald Trump s administration said the US president still preferred a diplomatic solution but had demonstrated the consequences if Iran failed to engage in meaningful negotiations.
According to The New York Times, Trump has temporarily shelved plans to intensify military action after discussions with senior advisers. The report said concerns included the risk of expanding the conflict, depleting US weapons stockpiles, straining relations with Gulf allies, and disrupting global energy supplies.
CNN also reported that Vice President JD Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine raised concerns about US munitions reserves during a White House meeting on Friday. A US Department of Defense source told the network that military operations were currently "on hold."
While fighting between the US and Iran eased, the conflict spread elsewhere as Yemen s Iran-backed Houthis targeted Saudi oil infrastructure.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group struck facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco in the cities of Jizan and Yanbu.
Verified videos showed thick smoke rising near the Aramco refinery in Jizan, which has a processing capacity of up to 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Two Asia-based trading sources said fuel and oil storage facilities at the site may have been damaged. Saudi Aramco did not immediately comment.
In Yanbu, Saudi air defences intercepted two missiles targeting oil installations. The Red Sea port has become a critical export route for Saudi crude, allowing shipments to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blockaded.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-backed internationally recognised Yemeni government carried out airstrikes on Houthi positions in the provinces of Marib and al-Jawf, according to local officials.
Officials also reported that both sides in Yemen s civil war were mobilising forces along front lines, raising fears that the conflict could intensify after the collapse of the 2022 ceasefire.
The Houthis have declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and warned that all Saudi oil facilities could become legitimate targets.
Separately, Iran s Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, claiming one sailor was killed and another injured.
The ministry summoned Ukraine s chargé d affaires in Tehran to protest what it described as a "hostile and criminal" attack.
The accusation came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had been providing Iran with satellite intelligence to support its military operations across the Middle East.
