Donald Trump backs off from threat to bomb Iran power grid, citing talks to end war
Maayan Lubell And Jon Gambrell
Updated ,first published
Tel Aviv/Jerusalem/Dubai/Washington: US President Donald Trump postponed the threat of an attack on Iran’s energy infrastructure and power plants for five days until the results of the “productive” talks with Iran to end the 24-day war.
Trump’s statement early Monday (Washington time) came after Iran said it would strike power and desalination plants in the Middle East if the United States followed through on Saturday’s threat to “destroy” power plants in the Islamic Republic if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Iran had also promised to mine “the entire Persian Gulf” if the US invaded.
Trump said in his social media post that talks with Iran will continue throughout the week. This post took place a few hours before the deadline he set.
The reaction from markets was swift and pronounced: Brent crude oil futures fell more than 14 percent to below US$100 per barrel, the US dollar fell against other major currencies, stock markets rose and US government borrowing costs fell.
But oil offset about half of those losses, with Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency saying it had no direct or indirect communication with the United States, citing an unnamed source. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency viewed the president’s Truth Social announcement as a retreat, writing about X: “Trump has backed down.”
In his post, written in all capital letters, Trump said the United States and Iran “have had very good and productive conversations over the past two days regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.”
“I have instructed the War Department to postpone any military strikes against Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure for a period of five days, subject to the success of ongoing meetings and discussions.”
Following his post, Trump told reporters in Palm Beach on Monday that Iran wanted to “make a deal.” He said Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner had held talks with a “respected” Iranian leader and that the two sides had “important points of agreement.”
Trump said that the talks that took place on Sunday will continue on Monday and that if the negotiations continue productively, an agreement will be reached very soon.
“If things go well, we’ll figure this out. Otherwise, we’ll keep bombing our little hearts,” he said.
A reporter working for a US news outlet axios He said that he met with Witkoff, the White House ambassador of Türkiye, Egypt and Pakistan, and separately with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Reporter Barak Ravid quoted an unnamed US source as saying that the discussion was about ending the war and resolving all outstanding issues.
Araghchi’s ministry said there were “attempts” to de-escalate tensions, Mehr news agency reported, adding that Tehran, as the party that started the war, wanted Washington to be a direct participant.
Trump said that if an agreement is reached with Iran, the United States will take action to buy Iran’s enriched uranium, which is critical for its controversial nuclear program.
Trump said Iran badly wants to make a deal and it could happen in five days or less. Mornings with Maria program.
A source briefed on Israel’s war plans said Washington had kept it informed about its talks with Tehran and that Israel would follow Washington in suspending any targets against Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure.
Tehran’s threats on Monday put at risk both electricity supply and water in Gulf Arab countries; especially as desert countries combine power plants with desalination plants vital to providing drinking water.
Fars, who is close to the Revolutionary Guard, has published a list of such facilities that appear to be veiled threats, including desalination plants as well as the United Arab Emirates’ Barakah nuclear power plant, which has four reactors in the country’s western deserts near the border with Saudi Arabia.
Over the weekend, Iran launched missiles targeting Dimona in Israel, near a facility that is key to its long-suspected atomic weapons program. The Israeli facility was not damaged by the dam.
While concerns about the possibility of US Marines coming to the region increased in Tehran, the Iranian Defense Council also warned against the idea of an invasion.
“Any attempt by the enemy to target Iran’s coasts or islands will naturally and in accordance with established military practices lead to the digging of all access routes in the Persian Gulf and the coasts,” the statement said.
The United States is trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, to energy shipments. In response to attacks by the United States and Israel, Iran closed the strait, through which one fifth of the world’s oil and other important goods are carried. Many ships pass through the strait and Iran insists that it remain open; Not just to the US, Israel or their allies.
To support this mission, Marines may land to seize islands or territory in Iran. Israel also suggested that a ground operation could also take part in the war.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said early Monday that if the United States follows through on its threat to attack power plants, Iran will respond by hitting power plants in all regions that supply electricity to American bases and “economic, industrial and energy infrastructures in which Americans have a stake.”
“Rest assured that we will do this,” the guard said in a statement read on Iranian state television.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Iran would consider vital infrastructure in the region, including energy and desalination plants critical for drinking water in Gulf countries, as legitimate targets.
Fatih Birol, President of the Paris-based International Energy Agency, warned in his statement early on Monday that “if progress continues in this direction, no country will be immune from the effects of this crisis.”
He told the Australian National Press Club in Canberra on Monday that the crisis in the Middle East had a worse impact on energy markets than the two oil shocks of the 1970s and the Russia-Ukraine war combined.
Jorge Moreira da Silva, a senior United Nations official, said the world was already seeing a ripple effect, including “exponential price increases in oil, fuel and natural gas” that is having a far-reaching impact on millions, especially in developing countries of Asia and Africa.
“There is no military solution,” he said.
In an interview published early Monday, US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper claimed that Iran was launching missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from populated areas and suggested that these areas would be targeted.
In an interview with the Persian-language Iran International satellite network, Cooper told Iranian civilians, “You need to stay inside for now.”
“As the president has stated, there will be a clear signal that you can come out at some point.”
Israel launched new attacks on Iran’s capital on Monday, saying it had “launched a large-scale wave of attacks” on infrastructure targets in Tehran, without immediately elaborating.
In his first one-on-one interview since the war began, Cooper said the campaign against Iran was “on track or as planned” and that the United States and Israel were targeting infrastructure and production facilities to destroy Iran’s capacity to rebuild its military.
“This is not just about the threat today,” he said. “We are eliminating the threat of the future, both in terms of unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles and the navy.”
He suggested he could bring the war to a quick end if Iran stopped fighting back, but did not say whether that would prompt Israel and the United States to step back before all infrastructure targets were destroyed.
“They could definitely stop this war right now if they wanted to,” he said of Iran. “They need to stop putting the great people of Iran at risk by firing missiles and drones from populated areas… They need to stop attacking civilians in the Middle East region immediately.”
Iran’s war death toll exceeds 1,500, the health ministry said. 15 people lost their lives in Iranian attacks in Israel. More than a dozen civilians have been killed in attacks in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab countries.
In Lebanon, officials say Israeli strikes targeting Iran-linked militia group Hezbollah have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million. Meanwhile, Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets at Israel.
AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
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