Trump says U.S. delays strikes on Iran's energy sites for 5 days

WASHINGTON, March 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he had ordered the military to delay strikes on Iranian power plants and energy facilities for five days after what he called "productive" talks with Iran.

Iran, however, denied any such contact soon after Trump's remarks, saying there had been no negotiations, "direct or indirect" with Washington as described by Trump, according to Iran's semi-official Fars news agency.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the two sides had held "very good and productive conversations" over the past two days aimed at resolving hostilities in the Middle East.

Based on the "in-depth, detailed, constructive" nature of the talks, he had instructed the Pentagon to postpone any strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for five days, pending further discussions.

The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran escalated sharply after Trump on Saturday gave Tehran 48 hours to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that otherwise Washington could strike Iranian power infrastructure. Tehran responded by signaling it would retaliate across the region if such attacks went ahead.

Iran's primary military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said Sunday that power plants in countries hosting U.S. bases would be treated as legitimate targets if the United States attacks Iran's electricity facilities. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also warned that energy and oil infrastructure across the region could face "irreversible" damage if Washington follows through on its threat.

The war began on Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities, triggering Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East. The fighting has also severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade.

The conflict has rattled global markets, sending oil prices on a rollercoaster this week and heightening fears of broader economic fallout. Analysts say Washington is facing growing pressure as the war strains alliances, fuels anti-war sentiment and deepens instability in energy markets.