US-Iran Conflict: Strikes Continue, Then Pause Amid Talks; House Votes to Limit Trump's War Powers

In late July 2026, the United States and Iran were engaged in an escalating military conflict marked by tit-for-tat strikes over nearly two weeks, according to BBC News and other outlets. US forces struck targets deeper inside Iran, including bridges and other infrastructure, as reported by the Associated Press. The House of Representatives, per PBS NewsHour, narrowly passed a resolution on July 23 seeking to halt US military action in Iran, with some Republicans defecting from party lines to support it—the second such resolution passed amid the conflict. Two senior US officials told NBC News that military commanders were intentionally allowing some Iranian missiles and attack drones to pass through American air defenses in order to preserve a dwindling supply of interceptor missiles. Separately, CBS News reported signs of a US military buildup in the Middle East, including additional aerial refueling aircraft deployed to locations such as Israel and flight-tracking data showing B-1 bombers departing bases in the United Kingdom. By July 26, BBC News reported that neither the US nor Iran had launched attacks for two consecutive nights, with a US ambassador stating that President Trump had paused strikes to allow room for talks aimed at permanently ending the war. As of the latest reporting, a fragile pause in hostilities was in effect, though it remained unclear how long it would hold or whether formal negotiations had begun. The House resolution's practical effect on White House military decision-making was not detailed, and it remains unresolved whether the pause was directly linked to congressional action or driven primarily by diplomatic considerations. The extent of damage from US strikes inside Iran, the specific purpose of the reported military buildup, and the current interceptor missile inventory levels were not independently corroborated across multiple sources.