WASHINGTON/TEHRAN/ISLAMABAD/JERUSALEM – US President Donald Trump said Thursday he will pause planned strikes on Iranian energy facilities for 10 days, claiming that talks between the two sides are “going very well.”
“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 PM, Eastern Time,” Trump said on social media platform Truth Social.
“Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,” Trump wrote.
US-Iran indirect talks are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said in a social media post on Thursday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that different messages have been exchanged between Iran and the United States through intermediaries over the past few days, while Tehran has held no talks with Washington since the United States and Israel began massive attacks on Iran on Feb 28.
Trump on Saturday gave Tehran 48 hours to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that otherwise Washington could strike Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure. Tehran responded by signaling it would retaliate across the region if such attacks went ahead.
On Monday, Trump said that he had ordered the military to delay strikes on Iranian power plants and energy facilities for five days after what he called “productive” talks with Iran, though Iran denied any such contact.
‘A complete end’
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that Iran seeks a “complete” end to the ongoing war with the United States and Israel, adding that Tehran wants to ensure security and peace in West Asia.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during a phone call with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The two discussed regional and international developments after the US-Israeli military “aggression,” according to a statement on the president’s website.
Pezeshkian praised Malaysia’s government and people for their “valuable” principled stance to condemn the “unlawful and inhumane” attacks on Iran.
“We seek a complete end to the war and security and peace in the region,” he said.
Ibrahim extended condolences to the Iranian government and people. He said that Malaysia had approved a resolution condemning the attacks by the United States and Israel, and stressed Malaysia’s opposition to any violation of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Iranian statement said.
The Malaysian premier expressed support for Iran’s “rightful” position on ending the war and called for guarantees that attacks on Iran would not be repeated.
15-point plan
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday confirmed that the White House has sent a 15-point plan to Tehran via Pakistan in an attempt to end the war with Iran.
“I can report to you today that we have, along with your foreign-policy team, presented a 15-point action list that forms the framework for a peace deal. This has been circulated through the Pakistani government, acting as the mediator,” Witkoff told Trump at a cabinet meeting at the White House.
The plan has “resulted in strong and positive messaging and talks,” said Witkoff.
‘Indirect talks underway’
Also on Thursday, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said that the US-Iran “indirect talks” are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan.
“In this context, the United States has shared 15 points, being deliberated upon by Iran … Brotherly countries of Türkiye and Egypt, among others, are also extending their support to this initiative,” the minister said in a post on the social media platform X.
He said that Pakistan remained fully committed to promoting peace and continues to make every effort to ensure stability in the region and beyond.
Strikes on Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel is “continuing to strike with force” targets of the Iranian government.
In a video statement issued by his office, Netanyahu said the killing of Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, in an overnight Israeli airstrike, was “another example of the cooperation between us and our ally, the United States, toward the shared goal of achieving the war’s objectives.”
Meanwhile, Israel has struck more than 1,000 Iranian weapons production targets as it intensifies attacks on Tehran’s military industries, the Israeli military said on Thursday.
“The IDF is intensifying its strikes on the Iranian terror regime’s weapons production industries,” the military said in a statement.
‘Ultimatum’ to Bahrain
Iran has issued an “ultimatum” to hotel owners in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, warning that hosting US military personnel could make their properties legitimate military targets, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Thursday.
Fars reported that US forces have taken refuge in regional hotels following Iranian missile strikes and joint operations with allied militant groups that targeted American military infrastructure across the Middle East. The warning covers any facility hosting foreign military personnel and takes effect immediately if such activity continues.