Trump Extends Iran Deadline, Claims Talks Underway as War Enters Fourth Week

President Trump extended his deadline Monday for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the U.S. would hold off on threatened strikes against Iranian power plants for five days while talks continue.

Trump announced the extension on Truth Social, holding out the possibility of a broader resolution to the war, though Iranian officials quickly denied any negotiations are taking place. Iranian state television declared Trump had backed down "following Iran's firm warning," and Iran's Fars News Agency cited a source saying there are no direct or indirect communications with the United States.

Trump told reporters Iran wants "to make a deal," claiming U.S. envoys have been in talks with a "respected" Iranian leader. He said Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner conducted talks Sunday evening and that negotiations would continue, though he did not name any Iranian official representing Tehran. He also confirmed the U.S. has not spoken with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

If a deal is reached, Trump said the U.S. would move to take Iran's enriched uranium, a critical component of its disputed nuclear program.

Markets responded positively to the news, though the reprieve was short-lived as Israel launched a new round of strikes in the heart of Tehran.

The war, now in its fourth week, has killed more than 2,000 people, sent oil prices surging, shaken the global economy, and endangered some of the world's busiest air corridors. The conflict has already seen the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, the bombing of a key Iranian gas field, and strikes targeting oil, gas, and civilian infrastructure across Gulf Arab nations.

The threatened power plant strikes carried particularly serious stakes, as investigators say they could have cut electricity to wide swaths of Iran and the Gulf region and knocked out the desalination plants that provide drinking water to many desert nations. Concerns are also growing over the potential consequences of any strikes on nuclear facilities.