President Donald Trump said Thursday he is extending attacks on Iran’s energy facilities by 10 days to April 6 at the request of the Islamic Republic’s government.
Trump’s move appears to prevent an escalating war with Iran at a time when the United States has signaled it wants a negotiated end to the conflict, and the key Strait of Hormuz is almost completely closed to oil shipments.
His announcement came as major US stock market indexes fell and oil prices rose.
“As requested by the Iranian government, please allow this statement to reflect that I am halting the period of energy plant destruction,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
“Negotiations are ongoing and, despite inaccurate statements by the fake news media and others, they are going very well. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The original five-day moratorium on US attacks on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure was set to expire on Friday. Trump had previously announced the pause on Truth Social on Monday.
The war against Iran began on February 28 with attacks by the United States and Israel.
The war has caused a sharp increase in the price of oil, as Iran has effectively shut down shipping traffic on the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important route for the movement of crude oil.
The benchmark S&P 500 stock market index fell 1.74% on Thursday, its biggest daily decline since the beginning of 2026, as oil prices rose. Brent crude oil futures closed more than 5.6% higher at $108.01 a barrel.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump told reporters at the White House that the US had “very important conversations going on regarding Iran.”
Tehran has denied that it is in direct talks with the US