Trump Extends Pause On Iran Power Plant Strikes Till April 6, Says Talks Going ‘Very Well’

US President Donald Trump has once again delayed threatened strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure, extending the deadline for action until April 6, 2026, while claiming backchannel diplomacy is making progress.

The move comes amid escalating regional violence, fresh Israeli strikes inside Iran, and growing alarm over the strain of the widening conflict across the Middle East. Trump said the pause followed a request from Tehran, even as his administration continued to issue sharp warnings and press Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and broader war-related demands.

Trump delays strike deadline again, says talks are 'going very well'

In a new post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said he was extending the pause on attacks targeting Iran's power plants by another 10 days. He insisted that negotiations were progressing despite what he described as misleading reports.

"Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Trump had earlier imposed a 48-hour ultimatum last Saturday, demanding that Iran reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers or face destruction of its energy facilities. That deadline has now been pushed back twice.

"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," he posted.

The latest extension signals that Washington is still leaving room for diplomacy, even as Trump publicly rejects suggestions that he is eager for a quick settlement to the conflict.

US sends 15-point proposal as Iran responds through intermediaries

Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff revealed during a cabinet meeting that the US had formally sent a 15-point "action list" to Tehran through Pakistani intermediaries, marking the first public confirmation of the proposal.

"We will see where things lead, and if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point with no good alternatives for them, other than more death and destruction," Witkoff said.

Witkoff also said there were "strong signs" that Iran may be willing to engage. On the Iranian side, state-linked signals suggested a formal response has already been delivered.

Meanwhile, the Iranian news agency Tasnim said: "Iran's response to the 15 points proposed by the US was officially sent last night through intermediaries, and Iran is awaiting the other side's response."

According to Tasnim, citing an unnamed official, Tehran's reply demanded an immediate end to US and Israeli attacks on Iran and on Iran-backed groups across the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. The report also said Iran sought war reparations and insisted that its "sovereignty" over the Strait of Hormuz be respected, conditions that appear to go far beyond what Washington has publicly indicated.

Trump keeps up pressure even as Israel warns of military strain

Even while extending the deadline, Trump maintained his aggressive rhetoric in public remarks at the White House, shifting between threats of overwhelming force and claims that Iran was being pushed toward compromise.

"They want to make a deal. The reason they want to make a deal is they have been just beat to shit," he said.

Trump also suggested that the United States could potentially take control of Iran's oil resources, drawing comparisons to Washington's previous approach in Venezuela after the fall of Nicolas Maduro.

At the same time, concerns are rising inside Israel over the cost of the war. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid openly warned that the country's military is under severe pressure, echoing earlier remarks from senior military leadership.

"The IDF is stretched to the limit and beyond. The government is leaving the army wounded out on the battlefield," Yair Lapid said, echoing a warning delivered a day earlier by military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir.

"The government is sending the army into a multi-front war without a strategy, without the necessary means, and with far too few soldiers," Lapid said.

Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin also acknowledged that more forces were urgently needed.

In a televised briefing, Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said: "On the Lebanese front, the forward defensive zone that we are creating requires additional IDF forces... For that, more combat soldiers are needed in the IDF."

Fresh strikes hit Iran as Gulf tensions flare again

Despite the talk of diplomacy, military operations continued to intensify on the ground. Trump said Iran had allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a sign it was serious about negotiations, but Israeli strikes inside Iran resumed on Thursday.

Israel said one of the latest attacks had "eliminated" Revolutionary Guards naval commander Alireza Tangsiri along with several senior officers. In Tehran, an AFP reporter heard warplanes overhead followed by three loud explosions.

Iranian media reported fresh US-Israeli strikes in several cities, including Isfahan, Shiraz, Bandar Abbas and Tabriz. Reports also pointed to attacks in Mashhad and Birjand near the Afghan border, areas that had largely been spared earlier in the conflict.

On Qeshm island, off the coast near Bandar Abbas, residents expressed growing despair over both war and the conditions that existed long before the current escalation.

"The suffering of people, the poverty, and the political oppression have been getting worse every year," said Sadeq, 42.

"I don't think war is the solution to these conditions, but ending it won't change much for us either," he said.

The broader Gulf region also saw renewed violence. Two people were reportedly killed by debris from an Iranian ballistic missile intercepted near Abu Dhabi, while drones were launched toward both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Iran has repeatedly targeted Gulf states it accuses of facilitating US military operations, including attacks on oil and gas infrastructure. Oil prices, which had softened in recent days, rose again on Thursday as markets reacted to the mixed signals around diplomacy and the risk of further escalation.