After Donald Trump Postpones Strikes on Iran Energy Sites, Details Emerge of Egypt, Pakistan, Turkiye 'Mediation'

New Delhi: Two days after claiming that the United States was getting "very close" to meeting its objectives in the Iran war, President Donald Trump on Monday, March 26, announced on his Truth Social a five-day pause on attacking energy infrastructure in Iran. The announcement was attributed later in the day to mediation efforts by Pakistan, Turkiye, and Egypt, by Trump as well as officials from other nations, cited in media reports.

I am pleased to report that the United States of America, and the country of Iran, have had, over the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East [West Asia]. Based on the tenor and tone of these in depth, detailed and constructive conversations, which will contiune 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

However, Iran’s Fars news agency, citing a source, said there were no direct or indirect communications with the US President despite Trump’s statement about talks with Tehran. Fars also said Trump backed down on targeting Iranian power plants after Iran warned it would target power plants across West Asia in response.

Translation: 'Iranian source: There is no direct or indirect connection with Trump; he backed down after hearing that our targets would include all power plants in West Asia.' (Screenshot from Fars News telegram channel, March 23.)

According to an AP newsbreak, Iranian state TV saw Trump's statement as the US 'backing down':

Iranian state television offered Tehran’s first reaction to Trump’s decision to extend a deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz by five days.

The deadline should have been around 0000 GMT Tuesday. Instead, Trump on Monday said he extended it by five days.

Reacting to the news, Iranian state television said in a graphic on screen: “U.S. president backs down following Iran’s firm warning.”

The Iranian side had kept up the pressure and rhetoric in statements on Monday, with Fars reporting, citing president Masoud Pezeshkian:

Pezeshkian: Iran to Confront Trump's Threats on Battlefieldhttps://t.co/siF0bhbKju pic.twitter.com/VIhqr2aoEL

— Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) March 23, 2026

Iranian officials had warned on Monday that the naval zone around the Persian Gulf would be mined in response to Trump's efforts to send ground troops and warships to open the Strait of Hormuz.

On Sunday (March 22), Trump announced on Truth Social that winding down of "our great military efforts in the Middle East [West Asia]" was being considered as the US was getting "very close" to obtaining its objectives. He referred to Iran as a "terrorist" state in that post, and listed the objectives of the war, including completely degrading its missile capability, "destroying" Iran's defence industrial base and ensuring Iran "never gets close to" nuclear capability.

At the same time, multiple reports on Monday evening said Pakistan had been engaged in “active back-channel diplomacy” and "mediation efforts" with the US, along with Turkiye and Egypt, over the last two days, in an effort to “bridge the gap between” the US and Iran.

Talks were confirmed by Trump in an interview with Fox Business. "All military strikes against Iran suspended following talks with Iran’s leadership, mediated by Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan," Trump reportedly said over the phone to a Fox Business reporter. "The most recent talks happened with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner," he apparently said.

The communication is said to have involved Witkoff, the US Special Envoy to West Asia, Kushner, former senior advisor to Trump, and Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, along with Turkiye and Egypt representatives.

Ankara, Cairo and Islamabad had established a diplomatic conduit, demonstrating that regional cooperation is the most effective antidote to escalation the Financial Times and other media outlets confirmed Monday evening.

Barak Ravid, journalist for US-based Axios said on X that the three countries had been passing messages between the US and Iran for two days. According to an Axios report, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had called on Witkoff, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his counterparts from Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar.

Abdelatty reportedly stressed the importance of "containing the broader effects of the conflict and preventing it from expanding", the Axios report said.

🚨Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan have been passing messages between the U.S. and Iran over the past two days in an effort to de-escalate, U.S. source says
🚨Senior officials from the three countries held separate talks with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign… https://t.co/4ZEFMt1ruq

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) March 23, 2026

While there remained some uncertainty regarding the view on the Iranian side, with journalists such as the Finacial Times editor Edward Luce pointing out soon after Trump's Truth Social post that there had been no reaction from Iran on Trump's claims:

Strange situation where we await a statement from Iran to check whether there's any truth to what US president is saying.

— Edward Luce (@EdwardGLuce) March 23, 2026

Yet, Prior to Trump’s announcement to Fox news about the mediation efforts, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi acknowledged talking by phone with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, again according to Fox News, which noted that Turkey has been an intermediary before in negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President JD Vance also reportedly discussed a possible US-Iran deal after Trump signalled progress in talks with Tehran, despite Tehran's denials.

Meanwhile Dunya News reported from Islamabad that Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi on Sunday (March 22) evening. "According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the two leaders discussed the evolving regional situation, recent developments, and rising tensions in detail," said the report. It added, "Ishaq Dar emphasised the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to ensure peace, security, and stability. Both sides agreed to remain in close contact and keep each other informed about further developments."

Trump has been putting out a number of messages on Truth Social in the last 24 hours. In a post on the intervening night of Sunday, we wrote, in all-caps: "Peace through strength, to put it mildly!" The son of the deposed former Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi supported Trump in a post on Monday afternoon:

President Trump is right. This regime only understands strength. Its infrastructure of terror— its leadership, machinery, and facilities that harm Iranians and Americans— must be destroyed and the entire regime must go. When Iran is free, the world will have lasting peace. https://t.co/O2XxKsQ2g9

— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) March 23, 2026

The United Kingdom also "welcomed" reports of talks between the US and Iran, as per a widely-reported statement from the UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer's office. The BBC first reported the statement by the spokesperson for the PM's office. "No 10 has 'always said that a swift resolution to the war is in global interests', the spokesperson says, before adding 'the Strait of Hormuz specifically needs to be reopened'," BBC reported.

In the meantime, CNA reports that according to NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte, 22 countries, including members of the alliance, are ready to work together to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has recently denied that the waterway was closed, stressing that only ships of countries hostile to Iran hwere being denied passage.

- Strait of Hormuz is not closed. Ships hesitate because insurers fear the war of choice you initiated—not Iran

- No insurer—and no Iranian—will be swayed by more threats. Try respect

- Freedom of Navigation cannot exist without Freedom of Trade. Respect both—or expect neither

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 22, 2026

Meanwhile in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed parliament on the West Asia crisis for the first time on the afternoon of March 23, shortly before Trump's announcement of the five-day pause in attacks on energy and power infrastructure in Iran. Modi's speech focused largely on the steps taken over the last roughly one decade in the energy sector by his government. He also said in the speech that the conflict in West Asia and its impact would continue to linger for a long time.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha. https://t.co/BIrR385m4O

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 23, 2026

Later on Monday evening, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said he spoke with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, and the discussion focused on the economic impact of the war. He posted the following message on X in the evening:

Had a detailed telecon this evening with US @SecRubio. Our discussions focused on the West Asia conflict and its impact on the international economy. We particularly spoke about energy security concerns. Agreed to remain in touch.

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 23, 2026

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