Five-Day Pause on Strikes
President Trump announced a five-day postponement of strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, citing "very good and productive conversations" with leaders in Tehran. This decision came hours before a deadline Trump had imposed for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for oil shipments. The U.S. had threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if the strait remained closed.
The president stated that the U.S. and Iran have had "conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East." However, Iranian state media denied any negotiations with the U.S. have taken place. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran's Parliament Speaker, dismissed reports of talks as "fake news" intended to manipulate financial and oil markets.
Despite the denial from Iran, Trump told reporters that the U.S. is talking with a "top person" in Iran, though not Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, are leading the talks for the U.S., according to Trump. He added that the talks went "perfectly" and would continue by phone.
The sources also report that countries like Egypt are facilitating backchannel messages between the U.S. and Iran through diplomatic efforts.
Market Reactions
Global markets reacted swiftly to Trump's announcement. Crude oil prices dropped, with Brent Crude falling more than 10% to around $100 per barrel.
Wall Street analyst Adam Crisafulli noted that the "global economy was teetering on the edge of a precipice," and Trump's "instinct for self-preservation is too great to drive off the cliff deliberately." The S&P 500 jumped 1.15%, and the tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite rose 1.38%.
ICE at Airports
Amid the ongoing war with Iran, the Trump administration began deploying ICE agents to some of the nation's busiest airports. This move comes as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown stretches into its second month, causing major disruptions for travelers. ICE agents have been deployed to 14 airports, including those in New York, Atlanta, and Houston.
White House border czar Tom Homan said the ICE agents are there to "help Americans transit those lines" and blamed Democrats for the funding delays. However, critics argue that ICE agents lack the necessary training for airport security. Everett Kelly, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said TSA officers "deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be."
International Response
Britain is sending short-range air defense systems to the Gulf to help counter Iranian missile attacks, according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "We're deploying short range air defense systems to Bahrain at speed," Starmer told a parliamentary committee.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was "grateful" to President Trump for delaying the strikes on Iranian power plants. Merz told a Berlin press conference, "I expressed my concerns to him regarding the announced attacks on the power plants in Iran."
The sources also report that Trump said he wants a 'very serious form of regime change' in Iran, and suggested the U.S. would seize Iran's enriched uranium directly, stating 'Very easy, if we have a deal with them, we're going down and we'll take it.'