NEW: Trump Halts Strikes On Iran; New Timeline Announced

President Trump hit pause on planned U.S. strikes targeting Iran’s power grid, signaling a possible off-ramp from a fast-moving crisis that had global markets on edge.

The president said the decision came after signs of progress in talks aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil chokepoint that has become the central flashpoint in the conflict.

The move follows Trump’s weekend ultimatum warning Iran it had 48 hours to reopen the strait or face military action. Tehran fired back with threats to hit electricity infrastructure in Israel and across Gulf nations, raising fears of a wider regional war and sending energy markets reeling.

The standoff over Hormuz has emerged as a major obstacle to ending the broader conflict, with both sides trading escalating warnings in recent days.

In a Monday morning post on Truth Social, Trump pointed to diplomatic momentum as the reason for holding off on strikes.

“BASED ON THE TENOR AND TONE OF THESE IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS, WITCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO POSTPONE ANY AND ALL MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN POWER PLANTS AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD, SUBJECT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE ONGOING MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS,” Trump wrote.

He added that the U.S. and Iran have had “very good and productive conversation” over the past two days focused on ending hostilities in the region.

For now, the pause buys time. Whether it leads to a breakthrough or just delays a broader conflict remains an open question.

The development comes after more than 100 Israeli citizens were injured in what officials classified as mass casualty events from multiple Iranian missile strikes on Saturday.

Iranian ballistic missiles struck the southern Israeli cities of Arad and Dimona, injuring upwards of 100 civilians and causing extensive damage to the impact sites. Despite the devastating damage and casualty figures, Israeli officials have not confirmed any fatalities as of this report.

The attacks occurred hours after a U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, which Iran described as the trigger for its retaliatory barrage. Air defense systems intercepted some incoming missiles but failed to prevent direct hits in both locations

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