War: Trump postpones airstrikes on Iranian power plants for five days

United States President Donald Trump has directed the Department of Defense to defer all airstrikes targeting Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period.

Trump, in a Truth Social post on Monday, said the decision is contingent upon the “success” of the ongoing “meetings and discussions”.

In the past two days, Washington and Tehran have engaged in “very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East”, Trump said.

On Saturday, Trump indicated that he was allowing Iran 48 hours — until just before midnight GMT on Monday — to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that is currently being obstructed by Iran and is responsible for transporting approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

In response, Tehran warned that it would “irreversibly destroy” critical infrastructure throughout the Middle East, including essential water systems, if the United States acted on Trump’s threat.

Iran further stated that it would target power plants in all regions supplying electricity to American military bases, “as well as the economic, industrial, and energy infrastructures in which Americans have investments”.

Trump had previously indicated that the objective of the war was regime change and urged “the Iranian people to reclaim their country”.

However, the objectives have evolved throughout the conflict, which has lacked clear goals and has inflicted significant economic damage globally, including in the United States, where gasoline prices have surged.

Despite the assassination of high-ranking officials, including the former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, the Iranian government continues to hold power, with his son Mojtaba succeeding him.