US pauses fresh military action against Iran, turns to sanctions and maritime pressure

NEW: The US pauses fresh military action against Iran, shifting to sanctions and maritime pressure instead.

The US just hit pause on military strikes against Iran.

No new attacks. Instead, Washington is reaching for the older tools, sanctions and pressure at sea. The Pentagon steps back, and you can see the building here, while Treasury and the Navy step forward. Squeeze the money, squeeze the shipping, and see if that moves Tehran further than bombs did.

The timing tells you plenty. This lands days after Iran and Oman agreed a corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, and oil prices finally started breathing again. A fresh strike now would torch that progress, and everyone in the White House knows it.

So the war hasn't ended, it's changed shape. The question is whether pressure without gunfire holds, or whether this pause is just the quiet part between rounds.

This is Liu Yang, reporting for HIT.