WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran have held talks on the “complete and total resolution of hostilities” in the Middle East.
Writing on social media, Trump says he has postponed threatened strikes on Iranian power plants for five days.
Oil and gas prices fell immediately.
However, Iran’s parliament speaker denied discussions have taken place, saying “fake news” is being used to “manipulate” the oil markets.
Speaking after his initial social media post, Trump said Iran has “one more chance” at peace.
These head-spinning developments highlight how fast-moving and unpredictable this war has become.
On Saturday night, Trump had given Iran a 48-hour deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz – or, he said, the US would “obliterate” Iranian power plants.
The exact status of the US-Iran talks is far from clear.
Trump is known for pushing counterparts in negotiations by publicly claiming talks are under way, even if the other side hasn’t agreed.
Iran is known for publicly denying that it’s in talks with Washington, even when they are taking place behind the scenes. Iran’s leadership vacuum has further complicated the picture.
“My whole life has been a negotiation but with Iran, we’ve been negotiating a long time,” Trump said. “This time, they mean business.”
He added that he believes Iran has agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon.
Trump then said – not for the first time – that a substantial portion of Iran’s leadership has been killed since the beginning of the war, without giving more detail on who the US is negotiating with.
“We hope they take it,” Trump said. “Either way, America and the entire world will be much safer and [it] will be a much safer planet.”
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said it has struck the main security headquarters of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as part of a “wave of strikes” on Tehran.
“The headquarter was used by the IRGC to synchronize unit activities and to conduct situational assessments. It was also responsible for directing the Basij Battalions,” the IDF claimed in a statement.
Israel’s military added: “Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.” (BBC)
