WASHINGTON: Donald Trump on Thursday pushed back his deadline for strikes on Iran’s energy assets to April 6, saying it was at Tehran’s request and that talks were “going very well.” Trump had earlier denied being desperate for a deal to end the Middle East war, despite Iran’s cool response to a US peace plan.“Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary, they are going very well,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Last Saturday, Trump initially gave Iran 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers, threatening to destroy its power plants, but has now extended the deadline twice. He said he was pausing the period of potential energy plant strikes by 10 days until April 6.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said there were “strong signs” Tehran was ready to negotiate, confirming Washington had passed a 15-point proposal to Iran through Pakistani officials. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran had responded to the proposal through intermediaries and was awaiting a reply.
According to the report, Iran demanded an end to US and Israeli attacks, including strikes on Tehran-backed groups such as Hezbollah. It also called for war reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at the White House, Trump alternated between threats and optimism, saying Iran wanted a deal while also warning of further destruction.
Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid warned the war was taking a heavy toll, saying the military was overstretched and lacked sufficient troops. Israel’s military also indicated more forces were needed on the Lebanese front as fighting continued.
Iran has faced near-daily strikes since late February. Israeli attacks reportedly targeted multiple cities including Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, and Bandar Abbas. The violence has spread across the Gulf, with missile debris causing casualties near Abu Dhabi, and drones targeting Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Oil prices, which had fallen last week, rose again amid uncertainty over the ongoing talks.
