Trump again postpones Iran power plant strikes by 10 days as talks to end war continue

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is delaying strikes on Iran’s power grid once again.

The commander-in-chief said Thursday he’s hitting the brakes on planned strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure for another 10 days, as US and Iranian officials continue backchannel negotiations to end the war that’s been simmering for nearly a month.

“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” Trump posted on Truth Social Thursday, March 26. “Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Later, in an interview with Fox News, Trump added, “I gave them a 10-day period; they asked for seven.”

He continued to declare victory. “In a certain sense, we have already won,” he said.

Trump vs Iran

Earlier this week, Trump warned Iranian leaders to get serious about ending the conflict or risk further targeted killings of top officials as US and Israeli forces ramped up operations.

Israel claimed it had “blown up and eliminated” Revolutionary Guards naval commander Alireza Tangsiri, along with several senior officers, in a strike on the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas.

Meanwhile, heavy airstrikes reportedly by Israeli or US warplanes hit areas around Isfahan, home to key military installations and one of Iran’s nuclear sites previously targeted during the intense 12-day bombing campaign in June. 

That said, the Iranian regime appears to be pushing back hard against Trump’s narrative.

Tehran has repeatedly denied it is ‘begging to make a deal" as it continues retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region.

Explosions echoed through Tel Aviv, Modi’in, and Jerusalem on Thursday, with Israel’s air defenses scrambling to intercept incoming projectiles. Iranian strikes were also intercepted in the Gulf.

NATO, oil ships, and 'lousy fighters'

Back in Washington, Trump used a cabinet meeting to double down on his claim that the war is effectively over.

He took aim at NATO partners while describing the regime as “great negotiators” but “lousy fighters.”

“They now have the chance, that is, to permanently abandon their nuclear ambitions and to join a new path forward,” Trump said during the meeting. “We’ll see if they want to do it. If they don’t, we’re their worst nightmare.”

Trump also pointed to a curious development at sea, saying Iranian negotiators allowed 10 “big boats of oil” to pass through the strait. It was a sign “we’re dealing with the right people,” he said.

US envoy Steve Witkoff was also optimistic but cautious, saying there are “strong signs” a deal could be within reach.

According to Witkoff, Pakistan delivered a 15-point US proposal to Iranian officials. However, Tehran had already dismissed the plan publicly as “excessive.”

Iran's leadership wiped out

Behind these negotiations is a conflict that has already reshaped Iran’s leadership.

The war began with an Israeli airstrike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, setting off a chain reaction of targeted killings. Since then, dozens of senior Iranian military and security figures have been taken out by US and Israeli operations. 

Among them was Ali Larijani, the longtime head of Iran’s national security council.

Khamenei’s successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, is believed to have been seriously injured in the same strike that killed his father.