Trump extends pause on striking Iran’s energy plants into April

(Reuters)

DUBAI/TEL AVIV/WASHINGTON, March 27 – U.S. President Donald Trump said he will extend a pause on attacks against Iran’s energy plants into April and that talks with Iran were going “very well,” but an Iranian official said a U.S. proposal for ending the war ​as “one-sided and unfair.”

The four-week war has spread across the Middle East killing thousands of people and hit 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, before later posting on social media that he would pause 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.

Trump has not identified with whom the U.S. is negotiating in Iran, with many high-ranking ⁠officials killed in the war.

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

Iran did ​not asked for a 10-day pause on strikes on its energy plants, 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.