Trump orders five-day pause on strikes amid ongoing talks; Iran denies peace claims
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US President Donald Trump on Monday said he had ordered a five-day pause on planned military strikes targeting Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure, citing “very good and productive” talks with Iran as discussions continued. However, Iran has denied any type of negotiations with the U.S. administration, saying, "Iran maintains its position rejecting any type of negotiations before reaching its war objectives. Trump's statement is a retreat from his previous threats."
What did the US President say on Truth Social?
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US and Iran had held “very good and productive conversations” over the past two days aimed at achieving a “complete and total resolution” of hostilities in the Middle East.
“Based on the tenor and tone of these in-depth, detailed and constructive conversations, which will continue throughout the week, I have 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,” he said.
The development came shortly after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that Tehran would target Israel’s power facilities and infrastructure supporting US bases in the Gulf if Washington followed through on its threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power network.
On Saturday, Trump had said Iranian power plants would be destroyed if Tehran did not “fully open” the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping within 48 hours, setting a deadline late Monday.
Iran’s actions have disrupted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route that handles about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, raising concerns over energy security and global markets.
Before Trump's announcement on Monday, global oil markets were on an upswing, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for May delivery rising $3.27, or 3.33%, to $101.50 per barrel while Brent crude for the same month gained $2.89, or 2.72%, to $109.30 per barrel in New York.
However, sentiment reversed sharply after the US President said the US would postpone further strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days, citing productive talks between the two countries.
After the announcement, Brent crude futures plunged more than 10%, slipping below the $100-per-barrel mark for the first time in days. US stock futures rallied strongly, with contracts linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 climbing about 2.5%, reversing earlier losses triggered by fears of further escalation. Meanwhile, the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note, which had earlier surged past 4.4%, retreated sharply on easing geopolitical concerns.