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US President Donald Trump speaks at a cabinet meeting on March 27, 2026. Photo: Screengrab/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump on Friday extended the deadline for the “destruction” of Iran’s energy infrastructure by an additional ten days, after previously warning he would act by Friday, to allow more time for talks with Tehran. The move follows reports on Thursday that Iran had sent its official response to a 15-point US proposal to end the war and is now awaiting a reply from Washington.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “I am pausing the period of [Iran’s] Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” adding that the decision came “as per [the] Iranian Government request.”
He added that talks with Tehran are “ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well.”
In a cabinet meeting he participated in earlier, the US president said that the Iranian side was “begging to make a deal,” noting that his country has been “obliterating” Iran's military capabilities over the past three weeks, while noting, “I don't know if we'll be able to do that [make a deal].”
Trump’s remarks came shortly after media outlets close Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported on Thursday that Tehran’s response to a 15-point proposal by Washington “was officially sent last night [Wednesday evening] through intermediaries” and that “Iran is now waiting for the other [American] side’s response.”
Tasnim News Agency further cited an “informed source” as noting that the Iranian response emphasized that the “[US and Israeli] enemy’s acts of aggression and assassination must end” and that “objective conditions must be established to ensure a war is not repeated.” Tehran also reportedly demanded that “war damages and compensation must be guaranteed and clearly defined.”
The US and Israel on February 28 launched a coordinated military campaign against Iran amid ongoing nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Brad Cooper reported on Thursday that the operation, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, struck more than 10,000 targets across Iran, aiming to achieve “clear military objectives of eliminating Iran’s ability to project power in meaningful ways beyond its borders.”
Speaking at the same cabinet meeting on Friday, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff - who has been tasked with engaging with the Iranian side along with the US president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner - made the first public confirmation that “a 15-point action list forming the framework for a peace deal” has been presented to Iran “through the Pakistani government acting as mediator.”
According to Witkoff, the US conditions required Iran to accept zero uranium enrichment, eliminate any weaponization capability, decommission the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities, transfer all enriched material to the US, stop stockpiling and reduce its missile inventory and range.
He added, “We will see where things lead and whether we can convince Iran that this is an inflection point with no good alternatives for them,” noting, “We are seeing strong signs that this is possible, and if a deal is reached, it would be beneficial for Iran, the entire region, and the world at large.”
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