Trump Announces Five-Day Moratorium on Iranian Energy Infrastructure Strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday a five-day moratorium on military attacks against Iranian energy infrastructure and power plants, citing what he described as "very good and productive talks" with Tehran over the previous two days. Trump posted the announcement on his Truth Social network, stating he had instructed the Department of War to postpone any strikes against Iranian electricity plants and energy infrastructure for a period of five days. The moratorium effectively freezes a 48-hour ultimatum Trump had issued on Saturday, threatening the "total" destruction of Iran if the Strait of Hormuz was not unblocked. Trump described the dialogue as "deep, detailed and constructive" and said talks would continue throughout the week, with the suspension of attacks conditional on the success of those ongoing discussions. The conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, has caused more than 4,000 deaths, the majority in Iran and Lebanon.

Tehran denies any talks as oil prices crater Iran's semi-official news agencies Fars and Tasnim moved swiftly to contradict Trump's account, citing official sources to deny that any negotiations — direct or indirect — had taken place with Washington. The Iranian regime, now led by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei following his father's death on the first day of the bombardment, had not issued any official statement in response to Trump's announcement as of Monday afternoon. One source cited by the state agency Fars suggested Trump had backed down after learning that Iran intended to strike all power plants across West Asia, though no official confirmation of that account was available. Markets reacted immediately to Trump's announcement regardless of Tehran's denial. Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate both fell more than 14%, dropping to approximately $96 and $84.37 per barrel respectively, pushing prices below the $100 mark. European stock markets, which had been down more than 2% during the morning session, reversed course and moved into positive territory by midday.

Brent (before): 111.63, Brent (after): 96.00, WTI (before): 98.57, WTI (after): 84.37

Iran threatens naval mines, Parliament speaker warns of regional blackout Even as Trump announced the pause, Iran escalated its own rhetoric on multiple fronts. Tehran warned that any attempt by the United States or Israel to attack Iranian coasts or islands would trigger the deployment of naval mines across all access routes and lines of communication in the Persian Gulf, according to a statement from Iran's Defense Council published by state media. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any attack on Iranian plants would result in the "irreversible" destruction of vital infrastructure across the entire region. Iranian state-linked media, including the Mehr news agency, released infographics listing potential energy targets in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait, under the heading "Say goodbye to electricity!" The Judiciary-linked outlet Mizan Online also published infographics identifying Israel's two main power stations — the Orot Rabin and Rutenberg plants — as potential targets. The Israeli army separately announced it had detected missiles fired from Iran toward its territory and said its air defense systems were ready to intercept them. One person was killed and another injured in a strike on a radio broadcasting center in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, opposite the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian public broadcaster Irib.

20 (%) — share of world oil and gas passing through Strait of Hormuz

EU's Kallas pushes diplomatic path as pressure mounts The European Union confirmed on Monday that its High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, is in direct contact with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to explore diplomatic paths toward de-escalation. EU foreign affairs spokesperson Anouar El Anouni told a press conference in Brussels that the bloc remained "in constant contact with our partners in the region and other countries, including Iran, to continue working on de-escalation and on safeguarding regional stability, security and respect for international law."

„We remain in constant contact with our partners in the region and other countries, as you have seen, including Iran, to continue working on de-escalation and on safeguarding regional stability, security and respect for international law.” — Anouar El Anouni via 20 minutos

Brussels described the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as "urgent" and said Kallas had made "a clear call for de-escalation and maximum restraint" in her contacts with Tehran. China also weighed in, with a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs warning that if the war spreads further, "the entire region could be plunged into an uncontrollable situation." International pressure from both Beijing and Moscow had intensified in the days preceding Trump's announcement, with both urging the parties to avoid an escalation that could trigger a global energy collapse.

The U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, designated Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, with strikes that killed then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mojtaba Khamenei, his son, was appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. The conflict has drawn in Lebanon, where Israeli forces reopened a front against Hezbollah. The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world's oil and liquefied gas passes, has been blocked by Iran since the start of the war, raising fears of a global energy crisis. Iran's Defense Council, which issued the naval mines warning, was established after a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June 2025, according to reporting by RFI.