Trump orders 5-day pause on Iran energy strikes amid 'productive' talks with Tehran
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump said Monday that Washington has held “very good and productive” talks with Iran aimed at resolving hostilities in the Middle East, and announced a five-day pause on planned strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure as a 48-hour deadline he set was nearing.
“I am pleased to report that the United States of America, and the country of Iran, have had, over the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The announcement came after Trump on Saturday issued an ultimatum to strike Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened within 48 hours. Tehran initially responded strongly but appeared to moderate its tone on Monday as the deadline approached.
Trump added that he “instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, when the US and Israel began an extensive aerial campaign targeting military sites across the country. The closure has put pressure on global energy markets, as nearly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies pass through the chokepoint, contributing to a sharp rise in prices.
Fars News, a media affiliate of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), denied Trump’s statement, citing an unnamed source as saying, “There is no direct or indirect connection with Trump; he retreated after hearing that our targets will be all power plants in West Asia.”
The Israeli Air Force said in a post on X that it has “begun, a short while ago, another wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran.”
“I am pleased to report that the United States of America, and the country of Iran, have had, over the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The announcement came after Trump on Saturday issued an ultimatum to strike Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened within 48 hours. Tehran initially responded strongly but appeared to moderate its tone on Monday as the deadline approached.
Trump added that he “instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, when the US and Israel began an extensive aerial campaign targeting military sites across the country. The closure has put pressure on global energy markets, as nearly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies pass through the chokepoint, contributing to a sharp rise in prices.
Fars News, a media affiliate of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), denied Trump’s statement, citing an unnamed source as saying, “There is no direct or indirect connection with Trump; he retreated after hearing that our targets will be all power plants in West Asia.”
The Israeli Air Force said in a post on X that it has “begun, a short while ago, another wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran.”