New Delhi: Two days after claiming that US was getting “very close” to meeting its objectives in the Iran war, President Donald Trump on Monday, March 23, wrote in a message (in all-caps) on Truth Social:
Trump said that 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 hostilities in the Middle East [West Asia].
He said that he has instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.
However, Iran’s Fars news agency, citing a source, said there were no direct or indirect communications with the US President.
Fars also said Trump backed down on targeting Iranian power plants after Iran warned it would target power plants across West Asia in response.
According to an AP newsbreak, Iranian state TV saw Trump’s statement as the US ‘backing down’:
Iranian state television offered Tehran’s first reaction to Trump’s decision to extend a deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz by five days.
Reacting to the news, Iranian state television said in a graphic on screen: “U.S. president backs down following Iran’s firm warning.”
The Iranian side had kept up the pressure and rhetoric in statements on Monday, with Fars reporting:
Iranian officials had warned on Monday that the naval zone around the Persian Gulf would be mined in response to Trump’s efforts to send ground troops and warships to open the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Kingdom has “welcomed” reports of talks between the US and Iran, as per a widely-reported statement from the UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer’s office. The BBC first reported the statement by the spokesperson for the PM’s office. The talks were announced by Trump and denied by Iranian government sources. “No 10 has ‘always said that a swift resolution to the war is in global interests’, the spokesperson says, before adding ‘the Strait of Hormuz specifically needs to be reopened’,” BBC reported.
In the meantime, CNA reports that according to NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte, 22 countries, including members of the alliance, are ready to work together to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has denied that the waterway is closed, stressing that only ships of countries hostile to Iran have been denied passage.
