US President Donald Trump on Thursday explained why he granted Iran a 10-day cooling-off period, describing it as a response to a “gift” from Tehran, allowing the passage of eight oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, while pausing planned strikes on its high-value energy infrastructure. He also portrayed the move as a sign of progress in ongoing diplomatic efforts amid tensions in the Middle East.Speaking to Fox News, Trump said Iran had approached his administration seeking more time as part of continuing engagement between the two sides.
“They said to me very nicely, through my people, ‘Could we have more time?’ Because we’re talking about tomorrow night, which is pretty quick, and if they don’t do what they have to do, I will knock out their power plants,” Trump said.MAGA supremo added that the 10-day extension was granted after Iran allowed eight oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a “present” during negotiations. “We talked about the eight ships, the present that I talked about the other day, but they asked for seven, and I gave them ten. And they were very thankful about that,” the US President said.Earlier in the day, Trump announced that the pause on strikes targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure would be extended by another 10 days, until Monday, April 6, 2026, as talks continue. In a post on Truth Social, he said the decision followed a request from the Iranian government and insisted that negotiations were progressing 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 8pm, Eastern Time. Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,” the post read.Earlier this week, Trump had already ordered a temporary halt to military action. On Monday, he said he instructed the US Department of War to delay strikes on Iranian power plants and energy sites for five days, citing ongoing diplomatic engagement.In another Truth Social post, he described recent discussions as constructive and aimed at resolving hostilities. “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 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” it added.Before that, Trump had issued a sharp warning to Tehran, giving it 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face military action. In an earlier Truth Social post, he said: “If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!”The latest extension, first from a 48-hour ultimatum to a five-day pause, and now an additional 10 days, highlights the shifting timelines as diplomacy continues alongside heightened tensions.
