President Trump announces five-day pause on strikes against Iran energy targets

WASHINGTON D.C: President Donald J. Trump has announced a temporary halt to U.S. military strikes targeting Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure, citing “very good and productive conversations” with Iran over the past two days.

In a statement, Trump said he has instructed the Department of War to postpone “any and all” military actions against Iranian energy sites for a five-day period. The pause, he added, is conditional on the continued progress and success of ongoing diplomatic discussions aimed at achieving “a complete and total resolution” of hostilities in the Middle East.

“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,” Trump stated, emphasizing that the talks have been “in depth, detailed, and constructive.”

The discussions are expected to continue throughout the week, with the temporary pause seen as a potential step toward de-escalation in the region. Officials have not yet provided further details on the scope or participants of the negotiations.

The announcement marks a significant development amid heightened tensions, as both sides explore a possible diplomatic pathway to resolve ongoing conflicts.

Meanwhile Iran’s foreign ministry said there was “no dialogue” between Tehran and Washington, state affiliated media reported, adding Trump’s statement was “part of efforts to reduce energy prices and buy time for the implementation of his military plans.” Iran had vowed to retaliate by striking energy targets around the Middle East.

The US media is reporting that multiple nations have been passing messages between the United States and Iran over the last several days in an attempt to de-escalate the mounting tensions around energy sites and power plants.

Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan have been relaying messages between the U.S. and Iran over the past two days to help de-escalate tensions.

Officials from the 3 countries held separate talks with U.S. envoy Witkoff and Iran FM Araghchi.

President Donald Trump’s foreign envoy Steve Witkoff, meanwhile, has heard from several officials in the region warning that Trump’s threat to target Iranian power plants would cause massive retaliation, including on American allies in the Gulf.