President Donald Trump said March 23 that the U.S. and Iran held “very good and productive” talks over the past two days, and he ordered a five-day pause on planned U.S. strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure “based on the tenor and tone of these in-depth, detailed, and constructive conversations.”
In a Truth Social post announcing the decision, Trump said the discussions focused on “a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East” and that talks would continue through the week.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 23, 2026
The move marked a sharp reversal from the 48-hour ultimatum Trump issued the night of March 21. As Zeale News previously reported, he had threatened to “obliterate” Iranian power plants unless Iran committed to allowing oil to move freely through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply flows.
Speaking to reporters hours after the March 23 post, Trump said his administration would speak again with the Iranian leadership later that day. If the exchange goes well, “we’ll end up settling this,” Trump said. “Otherwise, we’ll just keep bombing our little hearts out.”
He also told reporters that the talks — which he said were led by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — went “perfectly.”
.@POTUS on Iran: "We have had very, very strong talks. We'll see where they lead. We have major points of agreement... They went, I would say perfectly. I would say that if they carry through with that, it'll end that problem, that conflict." https://t.co/PZtpN5T0jG pic.twitter.com/k9NjYAbvnH
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 23, 2026
“If they carry through with that, it’ll end that problem, that conflict,” Trump added. “And I think it'll end it very, very substantially. We have very much in mind our partners in the Middle East.”
According to FOX News, Iranian state media, citing an unnamed security official, denied engaging in talks with the U.S. shortly after Trump made the announcement. Trump dismissed the denial while speaking to reporters and said that Iran and the U.S. have “major points of agreement.”
He also laid out what the U.S. is looking for in the talks: “no nuclear weapon,” “lowkey on the missiles,” “peace in the Middle East,” and “no enrichment.”
Financial markets reacted swiftly to Trump’s announcement. U.S. stock futures rose after earlier losses, while oil prices fell sharply. Reuters reported that benchmark Brent crude fell as much as 13% and was last down about 6.5% at $104 a barrel. Europe’s STOXX 600 rose 0.4% after earlier losses, while S&P 500 futures rose 2.3%.