Trump Delays Military Strikes on Iranian Power Plants by Five Days
Iran, for its part, vowed to fully close the waterway — a corridor for roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments — in retaliation, and said it would strike energy facilities in Israel and Gulf states.
Trump delays planned strikes on Iranian power grid for five days
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said Monday he has directed the US military to hold off for five days on planned strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure, citing “good and productive conversations” with Tehran.
- Advertisement -
“I am pleased 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 posted in all caps on his Truth Social platform.
“I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”
On Saturday, Trump gave Tehran 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels, warning that if it did not, the United States would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants.
Iran, for its part, vowed to fully close the waterway — a corridor for roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments — in retaliation, and said it would strike energy facilities in Israel and Gulf states.
The effective standoff at the Strait of Hormuz has driven up global oil prices and led to cooking gas shortages across several Asian nations. Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, warned Monday that the Middle East situation is “very difficult” and “worse than the two energy crises of the 1970s put together.”
Also Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that if Washington carried out its threat, Iran would target power plants in all regions supplying electricity to US bases “as well as the economic, industrial, and energy infrastructures in which Americans have shares”.
In addition, the country’s Defence Council warned via state media that any strike on Iran’s southern coast or islands would trigger the deployment of sea mines that would cut off Gulf shipping routes.