In the middle of rising tensions in West Asia, Donald Trump has decided to give diplomacy a little more time. On Thursday, the US President said he is extending the pause on strikes targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure by another 10 days. The new deadline is now set for April 6, 2026, at 8 pm Eastern Time.
This comes hours after speaking at the White House on Thursday, Donald Trump said Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a “goodwill gesture” during ongoing backchannel talks with the United States.
Trump extends pause on Iran energy strikes
Sharing the update on Truth Social, Trump said the move came after a “request” from the Iranian government. He also made it clear that talks between Washington and Tehran are still underway—and according to him, they are going “very well.”
“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 PM, Eastern Time. Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media and others, they are going very well,” Trump wrote.
Trump says taking Iran’s oil ‘an option’ as he pauses strikes
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday, Trump said that seizing control of Iran’s oil remains “an option”, though he did not give any timeline for such a move. While talking about the situation, Trump pointed to America’s own energy strength, saying the country is not dependent on others.
“We have so much oil. Our country is not affected by this. We have more, we have twice the amount of oil as Saudi Arabia or Russia, and soon it’ll be three times the amount,” he told reporters. He then hinted at the possibility of stronger action, even if he stopped short of committing to it. “I mean, I wouldn’t talk about it, but it’s an option.”
Trump says Iran let 10 oil tankers pass through Hormuz
According to Trump, some of these ships were operating under Pakistani flags, hinting at a possible role for Pakistan in the process. Trump shared that Iran had initially offered fewer tankers, but later increased the number.
“They said, to show you the fact that we’re real and solid, we’re going to let you have eight boats of oil, eight big boats of oil,” he said. He added that the tankers had already started moving days ago—something he only realised after watching news reports.
“I watched the news, and they said something’s unusual happening. There are eight boats going right up the middle of the Hormuz Strait,” Trump said. “Eight big tankers loaded up with oil right through. And I said, well, I guess they were right.”
“They then apologised for something they said, and they said, we’re going to send two more boats,” Trump added. “And it ended up being 10 boats.”
Earlier pause came after ‘productive’ talks
This isn’t the first time Trump has held back military action in recent days.Earlier this week, on Monday, he had already ordered a short pause of five days on any strikes against Iranian power plants and energy sites. At the time, he pointed to ongoing diplomatic talks with Tehran as the reason behind the decision.
Trump said the United States and Iran had held “very good and productive conversations” over two days, aimed at easing tensions in the region. “I am pleased to report that the United States of America, and the country of Iran, have had, over the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East,” he wrote.
He added that the nature of these discussions—“in depth, detailed, and constructive”—played a big role in his decision to hold off on strikes. “Based on the tenor and tone of these in-depth, detailed, and constructive conversations, which will continue throughout the week, I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy Infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Iran rejected a fresh US proposal to end the conflict, calling it “one-sided and unfair.” A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the proposal was reviewed after being passed through Pakistan, but it failed to meet basic expectations.
“In brief, the proposal suggests that Iran would relinquish its ability to defend itself in exchange for a vague plan to lift sanctions,” the official said. “It is one-sided and unfair, serving only US and Israeli interests.”