Donald Trump pauses Iran energy strikes for 10 days, says talks “going very well”

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was pausing attacks on Iran’s energy plants for 10 days at what he cast as the Iranian government’s request, and said talks with Tehran were going “very well.”

“As per Iranian Government request… I am pausing tPresident Donald Trump said he will extend the deadline to April 6 for Iran to make a deal to end the war or face the destruction of its energy plants, saying talks were going “very well”, but Tehran dismissed the U.S. proposal as unfair.

The four-week war has spread across the Middle East killing thousands of people and hitting the global economy with soaring energy prices, fuelling global inflation fears.

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28 after talks about Tehran’s nuclear program failed to yield a deal.

On Thursday, Trump threatened during a cabinet meeting at the White House to increase pressure on Iran if it did not make a deal. He later posted on social media that he would pause threatened attacks on Iranian energy plants for 10 days until April 6, 2026 at 2000 EDT (0000 GMT on April 7).

“Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,” he added in his Truth Social post.

Iran has said it is not engaged in talks with Washington and Trump has not identified who the U.S. is negotiating with in Iran, with many high-ranking officials killed in the war.

On March 23, Trump announced a halt to all threatened strikes against power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, but has now extended it to 10 days.

Iran did not ask for a 10-day pause on such strikes, the Wall Street Journal cited peace talk mediators as saying.

Trump told Fox News’ “The Five” program that the Iranians had asked for a seven-day pause on strikes on energy plants. There was no immediate reaction from Tehran.

Iran has said it would return strikes on energy facilities in the Gulf region if Trump follows through with his threat.

The prospect of tit-for-tat strikes on civilian infrastructure could further rattle global markets and threaten the livelihoods of millions ‌of civilians in the region who rely on electricity to power their cities and supply fresh water.

DRONE SPEEDBOATS

The war has massively disrupted shipping, sending crude oil prices up around 40%, seen liquefied natural gas prices spike, and prices for nitrogen-based fertilizers, critical to food production, rise around 50%.

Stock indexes fell sharply on Thursday, with the Nasdaq dropping more than 2% to confirm a correction, and Brent oil jumped to more than $105 a barrel as hopes diminished for a quick resolution to the war.

Despite Trump’s upbeat assessment, Iran continued to retaliate against U.S. and Israeli strikes by hitting Israel and U.S. bases. It also struck Gulf states and effectively blocked Middle East fuel exports via the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas.

Trump suggested on Thursday that Iran let 10 oil tankers transit the strait as a goodwill gesture in negotiations, including some Pakistan-flagged vessels.

Trump said the U.S. would become the Iran’s “worst nightmare” if it did not comply with U.S. demands, which include opening the Strait of Hormuz and ending its nuclear program. He said taking control of Iran’s oil was an option, but gave no details.

The Pentagon was looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing officials at the department.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

The United States had deployed uncrewed drone speedboats for patrols as part of its operations against Iran, the Pentagon told Reuters, the first time Washington had confirmed using such vessels in an active conflict.

IRAN REJECTS US 15-POINT PLAN

An Iranian official told Reuters that a 15-point U.S. proposal, conveyed to Tehran by Pakistan, was reviewed in detail on Wednesday by senior Iranian officials and the representative of Iran’s supreme leader, who felt it served only U.S. and Israeli interests.

However, diplomacy had not ended, the official said.

The proposal included demands ranging from dismantling Iran’s nuclear program to curbing its missiles and effectively handing over control of the strait, according to sources and reports.

Pakistan’s foreign minister said “indirect talks” between the U.S. and Iran were taking place through messages relayed by Islamabad, with other states including Turkey and Egypt also supporting mediation efforts.

Iran has hardened its stance since the war began, demanding guarantees against future military action, compensation for losses, and formal control of the strait, Iranian sources say.

It also told intermediaries that Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire deal, regional sources said.

On Thursday, Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, striking Tel Aviv, Haifa and other areas, including a Palestinian town in central Israel.

At least one ballistic missile hit Tel Aviv, according to Israel’s military, while others carried cluster missiles that dispersed smaller explosives, damaging homes and cars.

Israel’s ambulance service said a man was killed in Nahariya after Hezbollah fired a rocket barrage at the northern city.

In Iran, strikes hit the southern city of Bandar Abbas and a village on the outskirts of the southern city of Shiraz. A university building in Isfahan was reported to have been hit.

At least six people were killed after a strike damaged three residential buildings in central Iran’s Qom, the semi-official Fars news agency said, citing ahe period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,” he said.

“I gave them a 10-day period. They asked for seven,” Trump later told Fox News’ “The Five” show.

Trump, who has offered shifting goals and timeline for the Iran war, ranging from overthrowing Iran’s government to destroying its military and missile capabilities, told Fox News he thinks the U.S. has won the war.

“In a certain sense, we have already won,” Trump said.

Trump has said Iran must make a deal or face a continued onslaught.

The war began on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. Tehran subsequently responded by launching its own attacks on Israel and Gulf states with U.S. bases.

Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands. The war has also raised oil prices and shaken global markets.