Trump Says Iran Sought 10-Day Pause In Energy Strikes, Tehran Denies Request

2026-03-28 12:03:54

(MENAFN- Khaama Press) U.S. President Donald Trump said he had extended a pause in action against Iran's energy facilities by 10 days, saying the move came at Tehran's request and that talks were“going very well,” despite Iran quickly rejecting that account.

Trump said the suspension would run until April 6, in what he described as an official extension of the current halt.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States was pausing the“period of Energy Plant destruction” after what he called a request from the Iranian government, signalling that Washington still sees room for diplomacy even as military pressure remains in place. The pause delays any immediate escalation against one of Iran's most sensitive economic sectors.

Iran, however, pushed back against Trump's version of events, denying that it had asked Washington for more time and disputing suggestions that direct negotiations were progressing smoothly. Tehran has repeatedly said any contacts with the United States have been indirect and has insisted any proposal must be“fair and balanced.”

The development also comes amid signs that key Iranian political figures, including parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, have not been publicly central to the latest U.S. messaging on the pause, underscoring the opaque and fragmented nature of the diplomatic track. Iranian officials have instead continued to frame the crisis as one that must be handled on Tehran's terms and through carefully controlled channels.

The pause is significant because Iran's energy infrastructure has remained a major pressure point in the broader confrontation, with any strike on oil, gas or power assets carrying risks for global energy markets and regional escalation. Washington's decision to hold off, at least temporarily, suggests concern about the economic and geopolitical fallout of widening the conflict further.

The latest exchange highlights the fragile state of U.S.-Iran diplomacy, where public claims, denials and strategic ambiguity continue to shape the crisis. For now, the 10-day window may offer both sides limited room to test diplomacy, but the risk of renewed confrontation remains high if no breakthrough emerges by early April.

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