Donald Trump has halted all strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure after what he described as ‘very good conversations’ aimed at ending the war, even as Tehran rejects his claim that peace talks are underway.
The President said that the US and Iran had 'very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities' over the last two days.
Trump said he had ordered the Defense Department 'to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period.'He warned that the cessation of the strikes was 'subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.'
Iranian state media pushed back on Trump’s claims of ceasefire talks, insisting that no direct or indirect negotiations with the US have taken place.
Markets rocketed after Trump's Truth Social post, with the Dow surging 1,000 points in pre-market trading, the S&P and Nasdaq each jumping more than 2 percent, while oil dropped 10 percent.
Trump's ceasefire announcement comes after he threatened over the weekend to bomb Iran's electricity grid unless the regime reopened the Strait of Hormuz with 48 hours.
Iran responded by ignoring Trump's deadline, vowing to strike water and energy facilities in the Middle East.
Trump downplayed any sense of ongoing diplomacy with Tehran amid the secret peace talks this weekend. Iranian authorities also warned that they would deploy naval mines across the Gulf on Monday if the US attempted to invade its coasts or islands.
Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war has caused a global oil and energy crisis.
Gas prices have surged to an average of $4.00 a gallon nationwide up from $2.90 before the conflict began three weeks ago.
The narrow strait - through which a fifth of the world's oil flows - remains blocked by the threat of Iranian mines and missiles.
Brent crude as of Monday morning has fallen 13% to $96 a barrel following Trump's announcement of peace talks.
It is unclear what Trump’s ceasefire will focus on or whether Israel will be involved in the discussions.
In a bombshell announcement, US President Donald Trump reveals that his administration has been engaged in productive talks with Iran regarding a “complete and total resolution” of hostilities, leading him to postpone his pledge to bomb Iran’s energy sites if it didn’t allow the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz by Monday night.
“I am please 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 writes in an all caps Truth Social post.
“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,” Trump adds.
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1 comment:
Typing in caps, making threats without thinking,, now trying to save face.
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