Trump extends pause on striking Iran s energy plants by 10 days

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, March 26, that he is delaying the deadline for potential strikes on Iran’s energy facilities until April 6. He stated this decision was made at Tehran's request and noted that discussions were progressing positively. Previously, Trump had rejected claims that he was desperate for a deal to resolve the conflict in the Middle East, despite Iran's unenthusiastic response to an American peace proposal. He shared on his Truth Social platform, “Discussions are ongoing and, despite wrong claims from the fake news media and others, they are going very well.” Just last Saturday, Trump had set a 48-hour timeline for Iran to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers, threatening to target its power plants, but he has since extended this deadline two times. He wrote, “As requested by the Iranian government, please consider this statement as a 10-day pause on the destruction of energy plants until Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 PM Eastern Time.” Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, mentioned in a cabinet meeting that there are “strong signs” Iran is open to negotiations. This was the first time he publicly confirmed that Washington had sent a 15-point “action list” to Tehran through Pakistani officials. Witkoff added, “We will see where this leads, and if we can show Iran that this is a critical moment with no good options for them, other than more death and destruction.” Meanwhile, the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that “Iran’s official response to the 15 points proposed by the US was sent last night through intermediaries, and Iran is now waiting for the other side’s reply.” According to an unnamed official cited by Tasnim, Iran's response demanded an end to US and Israeli attacks on Iran, as well as on groups supported by Tehran in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.