President Trump on Monday said that the United States and Iran had “very good and productive conversations” to reach a complete resolution to the conflict in the Middle East.
“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,” Trump said.
“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,” he added.
🚨 President Donald J. Trump calls for a pause on 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. pic.twitter.com/N15CTRvikT
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2026
NBC News explained further:
Now in its fourth week, the conflict has consumed the Middle East, pushed up the prices of energy and food, and threatened the global economy with a far-reaching crisis.
Trump’s reversal delays what many feared would mark a significant new escalation for civilians across the region.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry appeared to counter Trump’s version of events, though, saying in a statement published by semi-official news agency Mehr News that there was “no dialogue between Tehran and Washington.”
It said Trump’s delay was “part of efforts to reduce energy prices and buy time to implement his military plans,” while acknowledging “there are initiatives from regional countries to reduce tensions.” Iranian state media said the president had “backed down” following Iran’s vow of swift retaliation for any attacks on its energy infrastructure.
Though markets responded positively to Trump’s turnaround, it was swiftly followed by a new round of Israeli strikes in the heart of Tehran.
“Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan have been passing messages between the U.S. and Iran over the past two days in an effort to de-escalate, U.S. source says,” Axios correspondent Barak Ravid said.
“Senior officials from the three countries held separate talks with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the U.S. source says,” he added.
🚨Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan have been passing messages between the U.S. and Iran over the past two days in an effort to de-escalate, U.S. source says
🚨Senior officials from the three countries held separate talks with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign… https://t.co/4ZEFMt1ruq— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) March 23, 2026
Axios has more:
But an Israeli official told Axios that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been in touch with the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Trump did not name the Iranian interlocutor, saying he did not want to get him killed, but claimed the U.S. and Iran were aligned on many of the key issues.
“We are dealing with a man that I believe is the most respected, not the supreme leader, we have not heard from him,” Trump said.
Trump said the talks would continue over the phone on Monday, with a possible in-person meeting later on.
The Israeli official said the mediating countries were trying to convene a meeting in Islamabad — with Ghalibaf and other officials representing Tehran, and Witkoff, Kushner and possibly Vice President Vance representing the U.S. — possibly later this week.
The official also said Israel had been aware of indirect communications between the U.S. and Tehran but was surprised by Trump’s comments on Monday. “We did not know things were moving that fast.”