US President Donald Trump on Monday backtracked from his previous decision to “obliterate” Iranian power plants after he gave the country a 48-hour ultimatum to reopen the important Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.
The Republican leader executed a U-turn no one saw coming as he backed down from those threats, redirecting his attention to diplomacy. While Trump postponed his attacks on Iranian infrastructure, another report suggested that the US had narrowed down a potential date to end the ongoing war on Iran.
US-Iran war to end on April 9: Report
Amid disputed claims of talks between the two sides, the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Trump’s country had settled on April 9, 2026, as the date to bury the hatchet. “Washington has set April 9 as a target date for ending the war, leaving about 21 days for continued fighting and negotiations,” the Israeli outlet stated, citing an unnamed Israeli official.
The source further shared, “Talks between Iran and the US are expected to take place later this week in Pakistan.” According to the report, Israel believes the US is already engaging in indirect negotiations with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.
He contradicted those claims on Monday, saying that no negotiations had taken place with the US. Qalibaf even went as far as rejecting the reports and branding them as “fake news,” while accusing Trump of propagating such claims to manipulate financial and oil markets.
A similar report by the Wall Street Journal, citing Gulf officials, indicated that the closed-door meeting of foreign ministers from Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan in Riyadh played a huge role in redirecting Trump to the path of diplomacy instead of more hostilities.
Unnamed officials specifically highlighted the efforts of Egyptian intelligence officials, who reportedly paved the way for a back-channel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by proposing to halt the violence for five days in a bid to move towards a ceasefire.
Moreover, the WSJ also hinted at a reported in-person meeting between US and Iranian officials happening in Turkey or Pakistan, citing US and Arab government aides.
Despite initial indications that Iran has not been in talks with the US, another report subsequently published by Al Arabiya, citing Israeli media, claimed that the country’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had agreed to reach an agreement with the United States.
What is the US saying about reported ceasefire talks?
Trump, in the meantime, has insisted that his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law and close aide Jared Kushner were involved in talks with Iranian representatives.
While at an event in Tennessee on Monday, the US president also said, “With Iran, we’ve been negotiating for a long time, and this time, they mean business. We’re giving it five days, and then we’re going to see where that takes us. And I would say at the end of this period, I think it could very well end up being a very good deal for everybody.”
Amid the flurry of reports about a potential diplomatic path being carved out by international officials, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the current situation as “fluid.” She further asserted that any speculation about such meetings shouldn’t be deemed final until the White House officially announces them. “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the U.S. will not negotiate through the press,” she added.