Donald Trump has decided to postpone any military action against Iran’s energy infrastructure until at least early April, giving Tehran an additional ten days to reach a negotiation agreement.
The President shared this decision on social media Thursday afternoon, stating that the extension was made at the request of Iranian officials.
“At the request of the Iranian Government, I am extending the deadline for potential action on Iran’s Energy Plant to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M. Eastern Time,” Trump announced.
He added, “Negotiations are ongoing, and contrary to what the Fake News Media might say, the discussions are proceeding positively.”
Earlier in the week, Trump had initially declared a five-day halt on planned US military strikes against Iran’s energy sector and had presented a 15-point peace proposal to the Iranian regime.
However, Tehran rejected the proposal, opting to continue its stance of defiance, which caused oil prices to surge after a significant drop earlier in the week.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that exchanges between the two countries through mediators do not mean ‘negotiations with the US.’
International benchmark Brent crude rose 5.7 percent Thursday to $108 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate futures climbed 4.6 percent to $95 per barrel.
Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on March 26
US forces have struck Iran’s Kharg Island, where some 90 percent of the country’s oil is prepared before being exported
A thick plume of smoke rises from an oil storage facility hit by a U.S.-Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, March 8, 2026
Extending the temporary ceasefire on Iran’s energy production allows the US and Iran to continue negotiations to end the war, now in its fourth week.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed Thursday that talks conducted alongside Jared Kushner and their Iranian counterparts had been fruitful.
‘I can report to you today that we have, along with your foreign-policy team, presented a 15-point action list that forms the framework for a peace deal,’ he said at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.
‘This has been circulated through the Pakistani government, acting as the mediator,’ he continued. ‘This has resulted in strong and positive messaging and talks.’
The Iranian regime has ratcheted up pressure on Washington even as talks progress, publicly confirming its continued pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
The relentless US-Israeli strikes have persuaded the regime it has nothing to gain by holding back from building a bomb, sources told Reuters.
State television aired a segment earlier this month in which conservative commentator Nasser Torabi said the Iranian public demanded action: ‘We need to act in order to build a nuclear weapon. Either we build it or we acquire it.’
Iran’s state media claimed Thursday that more than a million troops have been mobilized in preparation for a potential US ground invasion to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) soldiers march in formation during an annual military parade in Tehran in 2024
82nd Airborne Division soldiers deployed to Iraq during the US-Iraq war
The threats from Tehran come as the US military is reportedly planning a ‘final blow’ to take out the remnants of the Islamic regime, a threat that could include US ground troops in Iran in combination with a devastating bombardment.
‘Trump has a hand open for a deal, and the other is a fist, waiting to punch you in the f***ing face,’ a Trump aide told Axios.
The President has told members of his inner circle he is prepared to pull the trigger on a full-scale invasion if Tehran continues to rebuff his diplomatic overtures.
Pentagon chiefs ordered around 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East this week to join some 4,500 Marines already en route to the region.
