Trump postpones att∆ck on Iranian power plants after ‘productive conversations’

Trump postpones attack on Iranian power plants after ‘productive conversations’

President Donald Trump says the United States will postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period.

Trump’s decision comes a day after Iran warned it would completely close the Strait of Hormuz if Trump carried out his threat to bomb Tehran’s power plants.

Trump had issued the 48-hour ultimatum on Saturday, which would have expired on Monday.

But in a Truth Social post, the president scaled back on his threats, citing “very good and productive conversations” between US and Iran.

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Oil prices fell by ⁠more than 13 percent after ⁠Trump’s comments. Last week, they had risen above $100 per barrel as Iran’s attacks of vessels had choked passage on the Strait of Hormuz.

The attacks had triggered Trump’s ultimatum of obliterating Iranian power plants — “starting with the biggest one first” — if the critical waterway was not fully open to shipping.

Iran has not publicly confirmed if it held talks with the US on the matter.

But on Sunday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said ⁠companies with ⁠US shares will be “completely destroyed” if Iranian energy facilities were targeted.

The “power plants of regional countries hosting US bases will be legitimate targets for us”, the IRGC added.

Multiple countries were reported to have ramped up diplomatic efforts after the US and Iran vowed a tit-for-tat escalation.

One of the US war goals in Iran, according to Trump, is protecting its Middle Eastern allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait — all of which have come under attack from Iran since the war started nearly a month ago.