President Donald Trump on Monday (March 23, 2026) hailed “very good” talks with an unidentified Iranian official after abruptly shelving plans for fresh attacks, even as Washington’s ally Israel vowed to keep up strikes on the Islamic republic.
The surprise disclosure — denied by Tehran, which accused Mr. Trump of manipulating energy markets — came ahead of a Monday (March 23, 2026) night deadline imposed by Mr. Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane or see the US “obliterate” its power plants.
Trump postpones Iran strikes; says deal is possible
Oil prices fell and stock markets jumped as observers scrambled to interpret Mr. Trump’s statements despite the Iranian denial.
Axios, citing an unnamed Israeli official, identified Mr. Trump’s interlocutor as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s speaker of parliament and one of its most prominent non-clerical figures.
