Trump pauses all military strikes against Iranian energy sites for five days

In a significant shift in the West Asia war , US President Donald Trump announced on Monday (March 23) a five-day postponement of all planned military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure. The decision comes after what he described as "very good and productive" high-level discussions between the United States and Iran over the past 48 hours.

The pause is intended to provide a window for ongoing diplomatic talks aimed at reaching a "complete and total resolution" of hostilities in the region.

President Trump noted that the instruction to the Department of War is contingent upon the continued success of these detailed and constructive meetings, which are scheduled to persist throughout the week.

“I am pleased to report that the United States of America and the country of Iran have had, over the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“Based on the tenor and tone of these in-depth, detailed, and constructive conversations, which will continue throughout the week, I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions,” he added.

Also Read: ‘We will completely close the Strait of Hormuz’: Iran responds to Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum

Trump's announcement comes hours before his 48‑hour ultimatum on reopening the Strait of Hormuz is set to expire late Monday night, and Iran’s military has responded by warning that it will completely close the waterway if the US proceeds with its threats.

The US president has come under intense domestic and international pressure from rising energy prices caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait, through which around 20 per cent of global oil transits. Crude oil has been trading above $100 a barrel since the start of the conflict.

The pause comes after 24 days of intense fighting, which began on February 28 following a joint US‑Israeli bombing campaign that targeted top Iranian leadership, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior security chief Ali Larijani, along with several high‑ranking military commanders. The strikes, aimed at weakening Iran’s command structure and undermining its war capabilities, also hit key nuclear and energy infrastructure, a campaign widely seen as intended to trigger regime change in Tehran.

Despite the US and Israel targeting its leadership and critical infrastructure, Iran remains defiant. The country has adopted a tit-for-tat strategy, attacking oil and energy facilities across Gulf nations and surprising the US by targeting the Diego Garcia military base, around 4,000 km from Iran. This demonstrated Tehran’s missile capabilities, which the US had previously claimed were significantly reduced in its strikes.

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)