Trump pushes the deadline out to April 6th

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President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was extending an ongoing brief pause in attacking Iran’s energy facilities by 10 days, to April 6, at the request of the government of the Islamic Republic.

Trump’s move avoids escalating the war with Iran at a time the United States has signaled it wants a negotiated end to the conflict and as the key Strait of Hormuz remains almost completely closed to oil shipments.

His announcement came as key U.S. stock market indexes fell and oil prices rose.

“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

“Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The original five-day pause on U.S. attacks on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure was due to end Friday. Trump had announced the first pause on Monday on Truth Social.

“The Iranians asked me” for the latest delay, Trump said later Thursday in a Fox News interview.

He said that Iran had asked for a one-week extension, but he decided on 10 days “because they gave me ships.”

He was referencing his earlier claim that Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz this week as a “present” to the United States.

Trump earlier Thursday told reporters at the White House that the U.S. has “very substantial talks going on with respect to Iran.”

Tehran has denied that it is in direct talks with the U.S.

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