U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday announced a last-minute pause on planned military strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure, signaling a sudden shift from brinkmanship to diplomacy after what he described as very good and productive talks with Tehran over the past 48 hours.
The decision comes as the United States and Israel remain locked in a deepening conflict with Iran, now entering its fourth week.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the Department of War to stand down, halting all strike plans for five days to allow ongoing negotiations to continue.
“Based on the tenor and tone of these in-depth, detailed, and constructive conversations… I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes… for a five-day period,” he wrote.
The News Chronicle observes that this move marks a dramatic reversal from Friday, when Trump issued a hardline 48-hour ultimatum demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face imminent attacks on its power infrastructure a deadline that expired Monday.
Describing the outreach as “online diplomacy,” Trump offered no specifics on who is involved or how the talks are being conducted.
The White House has yet to issue a formal statement beyond the president’s social media remarks, leaving critical details of the negotiations shrouded in uncertainty.
