US President Donald Trump has announced the postponement of threatened strikes on Iranian power plants following what he described as “very good and productive conversations” with Tehran over the “complete and total resolution” of hostilities in the Middle East.
Trump said that based on the tenor and tone of these detailed discussions, he instructed the Department of War to postpone all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, with the caveat that the suspension depends on the ongoing talks’ success.
The announcement comes after Trump issued a 48-hour deadline on Saturday demanding that Iran reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, warning that failure to comply would result in the US “obliterating” Iranian power plants, starting with the largest one.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime chokepoint through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil exports pass.
Bounded by Iran to the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south, the strait is only 33km wide at its narrowest point, yet deep enough for the world’s largest crude oil tankers.
Its effective closure in recent days has disrupted global shipping and sent energy markets into turmoil.
Iran had responded to the threat and ultimatum by indicating and naming up to eight energy and water infrastructure in the Gulf region targeting nations like Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia that it says continues to offer the US its air and bases to attack Iran from.
The Islamic Repuglic said it would completely wipe out the facilities and make it impossible to rebuild in years to come.
And the chilling warning was not taken by the world lightly, with Iran having carried out every threat they have made since the war began on February 28.
Trump’s latest move aligns with international concerns. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Trump spoke in a 20-minute call late Sunday, agreeing that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is essential to resume global shipping.
Downing Street described the conversation as “constructive,” despite Trump having earlier shared a satirical clip about the UK leader.
While the US and UK focus on easing tensions at the strait, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have cautioned that their operations against Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah, could continue for several more weeks, signaling that the broader Middle East conflict remains volatile.
Markets reacted positively to Trump’s announcement. Brent crude fell 13% to around $96 a barrel, while the FTSE 100 recovered to a 0.5% gain after earlier falling more than 2%.
Gas prices in the UK dropped from 159p per therm to about 139p, and yields on 10-year UK government bonds fell from 5.121% to 4.89%.
However, Iran’s state news agency Fars rejected Trump’s claim of productive conversations, citing a source who said there had been no direct contact with Trump, not even through intermediaries, and that the US president “backed off after hearing that our targets would be all power plants in West Asia.”
Analysts say that while Trump’s announcement provides temporary relief, the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz — a corridor critical to global energy security — remains unresolved. The coming days will be closely watched for any escalation.