Trump backs off Iran strike deadline with new 10-day pause as Tehran threatens one million fighters and nuclear bomb

Donald Trump will hold off on bombing Iran's energy infrastructure until at least early April after extending the deadline for Tehran to negotiate a deal by ten days.

The President said he acted at the behest of Iranian leadership, posting the announcement on social media Thursday afternoon. 

'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 8 P.M., Eastern Time,' Trump said.

'Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well.' 

Trump first announced a five-day pause on US strikes targeting Iran's energy sector early Monday, and has since submitted a 15-point peace plan to the regime.

Tehran rejected the terms and vowed to continue fighting, sending oil prices rocketing after they had plunged at the start of the week. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that exchanges between the two countries through mediators do not mean 'negotiations with the US.' 

International benchmark Brent crude rose 5.7 percent Thursday to $108 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate futures climbed 4.6 percent to $95 per barrel.

Extending the temporary ceasefire on Iran's energy production allows the US and Iran to continue negotiations to end the war, now in its fourth week.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed Thursday that talks conducted alongside Jared Kushner and their Iranian counterparts had been fruitful. 

'I can report to you today that we have, along with your foreign-policy team, presented a 15-point action list that forms the framework for a peace deal,' he said at Thursday's Cabinet meeting.

'This has been circulated through the Pakistani government, acting as the mediator,' he continued. 'This has resulted in strong and positive messaging and talks.' 

The Iranian regime has ratcheted up pressure on Washington even as talks progress, publicly confirming its continued pursuit of a nuclear weapon.  

The relentless US-Israeli strikes have persuaded the regime it has nothing to gain by holding back from building a bomb, sources told Reuters. 

State television aired a segment earlier this month in which conservative commentator Nasser Torabi said the Iranian public demanded action: 'We need to act in order to build a nuclear weapon. Either we build it or we acquire it.' 

Iran's state media claimed Thursday that more than a million troops have been mobilized in preparation for a potential US ground invasion to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The threats from Tehran come as the US military is reportedly planning a 'final blow' to take out the remnants of the Islamic regime, a threat that could include US ground troops in Iran in combination with a devastating bombardment. 

'Trump has a hand open for a deal, and the other is a fist, waiting to punch you in the f***ing face,' a Trump aide told Axios.

The President has told members of his inner circle he is prepared to pull the trigger on a full-scale invasion if Tehran continues to rebuff his diplomatic overtures. 

Pentagon chiefs ordered around 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East this week to join some 4,500 Marines already en route to the region.