U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a five-day extension to his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the US will hold off on power plant strikes for five days.
Mr Trump made this announcement in a social media post, just hours ahead of the earlier deadline. He noted that recent discussions between US and Iranian officials have been very good and productive, expressing optimism that they could lead to a complete and total resolution of the conflict. He said the suspension of his threat to attack Iranian power plants was subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.
The U.S. President added that negotiations are set to continue throughout the week as both sides work toward a possible diplomatic breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that Tehran has firmly rejected the prospect of talks with Washington, emphasising that no direct dialogue is currently taking place between the two sides.
In a statement carried by the semi-official Mehr news agency, Iran’s Foreign Ministry dismissed recent remarks by U.S. President Trump, suggesting they are intended to ease pressure on global energy markets and buy time for potential military planning.
