U.S. President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to April 6, signaling a temporary pause in planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure as tensions remain high.
"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 said on his Truth Social platform.
"Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well."
Trump signaled uncertainty earlier about whether the U.S. is willing to strike a deal with Iran, even as he claimed Tehran is eager to negotiate.
"They're not fools. They're very smart, actually, in a certain way. And they're great negotiators," he said at a Cabinet meeting at the White House, but called the Iranian side "lousy fighters."
"They're great negotiators, and they are begging to work out a deal. I don't know if we'll be able to do that. I don't know if we're willing to do that," he said.
Trump boasted about eliminating Iran's entire leadership and said survivors are unable to communicate.
Indicating that he is "the opposite of desperate" to make a deal with Tehran, he said, "In fact, we have other targets we want to hit before we leave. We're hitting them on a daily basis."
Regional tensions have escalated since Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran that has killed more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.
Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed and around 290 others have been injured since the operation began.
The U.S. president on Saturday had given Iran 48 hours to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its power plants.
On Monday, he then extended the deadline by five days, saying talks with Tehran were progressing.
