Trump extends Iranian ‘energy destruction’ deadline again (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
US President Donald Trump has walked back from his vow to resume strikes on the Islamic Republic’s power facilities and extended the deadline for another 10 days, until Monday, April 6, claiming that talks with Tehran “are going very well.”
Trump initially threatened last Saturday to “obliterate” Iran’s power network if it does not reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. After Tehran warned it will target regional energy infrastructure in retaliation, Trump on Monday postponed his threat for five days, citing “very productive conversations.”
“As per the Iranian Government’s request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days,” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday, insisting that the “talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media and others, they are going very well.”
Tehran has denied holding direct talks with Washington while Trump claimed that the Iranian leadership is desperate to reach a deal but fears retribution from its own people if it publicly admits so.
The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt previously said they were passing messages between Washington and Tehran. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, insisted that receiving messages does not constitute “talks.”
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
26 March 2026
23:13 GMTTehran has not requested a pause to US strikes on its energy infrastructure, and has yet to deliver a final response to Washington’s 15-point ultimatum to end the war, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing mediators in the indirect talks.
- 22:48 GMT
President Trump has claimed that his unnamed contacts in Tehran initially asked him to pause US strikes on the city’s energy infrastructure for seven days, and were “very thankful” after he instead gave them ten.
“They said to me very nicely, through my people, ‘Could we have more time?’ Because we’re talking about tomorrow night, which is pretty quick, and if they don’t do what they have to do, I will knock out their power plants,” Trump told Fox News.
“They asked for seven, and I said, ‘I’m going to give you 10,’ because they gave me ships,” he said, adding that Iranian officials were “very thankful” about that.
The US president claimed earlier in the day that Iran had gifted him ten “big boats” of oil, allowing the tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in a show of goodwill. Tehran insists that the strategic waterway is and has always been open for passage for all vessels unaffiliated with “hostile” nations.
- 22:23 GMT
The US Central Command has shared several photos showing US soldiers maintaining Patriot mobile interceptor missile systems, which it called a part of “the most extensive air defense umbrella in the Middle East.”
U.S. Army Soldiers maintain Patriot mobile interceptor missile systems, helping maintain the most extensive air defense umbrella in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/RaPZ4pIJID
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 26, 2026The continuing US-Israeli regime change efforts in Iran have led to rapid consumption of munitions and interceptors by the attackers and Washington’s regional partners enduring Iranian retaliation, raising concerns in Ukraine about the continuity of Western military support.
The US could redirect arms supplies originally designated for Ukraine to America’s own war with Iran, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with discussions on the matter. According to the WaPo, internal discussions within the Department of War are focused on determining the appropriate level of Ukraine supplies. While deliveries are expected to proceed, Patriot interceptors may be excluded. In certain scenarios, shipments could be redirected entirely, sources indicated.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has recently emphasized that replenishing US arsenals for conducting American military operations takes precedence over supplying Kiev.
- 22:13 GMT
The IDF has detected a new wave of missiles fired by Tehran at Israel, shortly after it bragged about the destruction of “more than 1,000 production-related targets” across Iran.
“Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the military said in a statement, warning residents to seek shelter in a protected space and remain there until further notice.
- 22:04 GMT
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said it is “intensifying strikes” on Iranian weapons production industries, with more than 1,000 production-related targets struck so far since the start of its Operation Roaring Lion, conducted in coordination with the US’s Operation Epic Fury.
In a statement, the IDF said the Israeli Air Force, Intelligence Directorate and Operations Directorate are leading an ongoing effort to “degrade” Tehran’s industrial capabilities.
“This effort includes the systematic targeting of production lines, with the aim of degrading the regime’s manufacturing, development, and research capabilities across its military industries,” it said.
The IDF claimed that “much of Iranian development is carried out in cooperation with private companies operating in coordination with the regime’s security apparatus, led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).”
- 21:41 GMT
President Donald Trump has stepped back from his promise to resume strikes on the Islamic Republic’s power facilities when a five-day pause expires on Friday, and extended the deadline for another ten days.
“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. Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,” Tump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
