US and Iran pause strikes, diplomatic talks resume

The US has suspended its two-week bombing campaign against Iran, and Tehran has responded by halting its retaliatory strikes for a second consecutive day. The pause has opened a window for renewed diplomatic talks, though Iran's supreme leader Khamenei has tied any peace deal to Israel ending its attacks on Lebanon. The Pentagon quietly updated its war casualty database over the weekend, now listing over 600 US service members killed or wounded since operations began on July 7.