Just hours before a self-imposed deadline was set to expire on Monday evening, President Donald Trump took to social media to announce he had ordered the Department of Defense to postpone planned strikes on Iranian power plants. The reason: “very good and productive conversations” between the United States and Iran over the preceding two days.
Trump described the discussions as “in-depth, detailed, and constructive,” with further talks expected throughout the week. The move came after Iran had threatened to retaliate against any attack on its power grid by striking Israel’s power plants and facilities supplying U.S. military bases across the Gulf region — a counter-threat that raised the specter of catastrophic escalation.
The pause, initially set for five days, represents the most significant diplomatic opening since the conflict intensified. Trump also said he had ordered a suspension of attacks on energy infrastructure more broadly, though the Brazilian outlet CartaCapital noted the conditionality baked into the announcement: the pause hinges on continued diplomatic progress.