Trump delays US strikes on Iranian power plants citing 'productive' talks; Tehran denies claim

US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the United States and Iran have held “very good and productive” talks over the past two days on a potential resolution of hostilities in the Middle East, and that he has ordered a temporary pause on possible US military strikes on energy infrastructure of the Islamic Republic.

In a post his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had instructed the Department of War to postpone “any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure” for five days, citing the “tenor and tone” of ongoing discussions.

He said that talks would continue through the week and that the pause was “subject to the success” of the negotiations.

Trump’s statement comes after his earlier warning that the United States would target Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not ensure the Strait of Hormuz was “fully open, without threat” within 48 hours.

The 48-hour deadline was set to end today.

Iran, however, denied there have been any negotiations with the United States.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf wrote on X that “no negotiations have been held with the US, and fake news is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.”

On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that threats against Iran would only strengthen national unity, adding that the strait would remain open “to all except those who violate our soil.”

“The illusion of erasing Iran from the map shows desperation against the will of a history-making nation,” he wrote on X, adding that Iran would “firmly confront delirious threats on the battlefield.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the Strait of Hormuz was not formally closed but that “ships hesitate because insurers fear the war of choice you initiated—not Iran.”

“Freedom of Navigation cannot exist without Freedom of Trade. Respect both—or expect neither,” Araghchi wrote on X.

Iran also rejected media reports claiming it plans to levy a $2 million transit fee on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, the Embassy of Iran in India said, “In response to certain claims regarding the alleged receipt of a sum of 2 million dollars by the Islamic Republic of Iran from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, it is emphasized that such claims are unfounded,” the embassy said.

“The statements made in this regard merely reflect the personal views of individuals and do not, in any way, represent the official position of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” it added.