Iran War Day 27: Trump delays threatened strikes by 10 days but also reportedly ‘leans’ toward ordering ground invasion

President Donald Trump on March 26 announced a further delay of 10 days before he would order strikes on Iran’s energy hubs, saying his talks with Iran are “going very well.” Meanwhile, diplomats from mediating states in the Middle East reportedly believe Trump is “leaning” toward ordering a ground invasion of Iran, while the Iranians claim to have one million fighters prepared for such an event.

Trump pauses attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure until April 6 

Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he is pausing U.S. attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure until April 6 amid ongoing talks with Iran.

“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,” he wrote. “Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Report: Trump considering ground invasion of Iran to pressure officials to surrender

An official from a country mediating talks between the U.S. and Iran told The Times of Israel that Trump appears to be leaning toward ordering a ground operation in Iran, the outlet reported. The official said the White House believes Tehran is unlikely to agree to U.S. demands and may attempt to force concessions through military pressure. 

A second official from a mediating country told the outlet that while the U.S. may be able to capture Iran, a ground invasion would require significantly more troops and push the war past the administration’s original four-to-six week timeline. According to the Times, both officials said Iran is not likely to capitulate even if such an operation proceeds.

Iran claimed more than one million fighters have been mobilized for a potential ground conflict with the U.S., according to a state-linked media outlet. A senior military source reportedly told the outlet that both trained forces and civilians have volunteered to join the fight. 

Report: US troops forced to leave Middle East bases after Iranian strikes

Iranian strikes on U.S. bases across the Middle East have forced many American troops to relocate to hotels and office spaces in the region, according to a New York Times report citing military personnel and American officials. The outlet reported that many of the 13 bases used by the U.S. in the region are now “uninhabitable,” and while most troops relocated within the Middle East, some were sent as far away as Europe. 

“The result, according to current and former military officials, is a war that is much harder to prosecute,” the Times reported.

Trump says Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through Strait as ‘present’ to US 

Speaking during his Cabinet meeting, Trump said Iran allowed multiple oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a “present” to the U.S. to demonstrate its seriousness in talks to end the war.

“They said something’s unusual happening. There are eight boats that are going, middle of the Hormuz Strait, eight big tankers are going loaded up with oil right through. And I said – well, I guess they were right, and they were real, and I think they were Pakistani-flagged – and I said, ‘Well, I guess we’re dealing with the right people,’” Trump said.

The President said Iran later allowed two more tankers to pass through the waterway, bringing the total to 10.

During the meeting, Trump also said the U.S. does not “need it [the Strait of Hormuz] at all. We have so much oil. Our country is not affected by this.” About one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the strait daily – most of it bound for Asian markets.

Report: Israel planned to target Iranian officials key to negotiations until US stepped in 

Israel removed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf from a list of assassination targets after Pakistan urged the U.S. to intervene, a Pakistani source familiar with the discussions told Reuters March 26. The official said that after learning of the plot, Pakistani intelligence told the U.S. it must intervene because eliminating the two senior figures would leave no one in Tehran available for talks. 

“The Israelis had their coordinates and wanted to take them out, we told the U.S. ​if they are also eliminated then there is no one else to talk to, hence the ​U.S. asked the Israelis to back off,” the Pakistani official told Reuters.

Israel says it killed Iranian navy chief behind Strait of Hormuz closure

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a video statement that an Israeli airstrike on the night of March 25 killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy. He said the “precise and lethal operation” also eliminated other senior naval officers.

“The man who was directly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz to shipping was blown up and eliminated,” Katz said of Tangsiri.