{"id":205454,"date":"2026-03-26T23:52:29","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T23:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/trump-again-delays-strikes-on-iran-power-plants-amid-talks-live-updates-usa-today\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T23:52:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T23:52:29","slug":"trump-again-delays-strikes-on-iran-power-plants-amid-talks-live-updates-usa-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/trump-again-delays-strikes-on-iran-power-plants-amid-talks-live-updates-usa-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump again delays strikes on Iran power plants amid talks. Live updates. – USA Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Donald Trump<\/a> is postponing strikes again on Iran\u2019s power plants as the United States and Iranian officials are engaged in negotiations to end the war.
“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” Trump said in the post on Thursday.<\/a>
Trump at a Cabinet meeting said those leading Iran\u2019s negotiations allowed a total of 10 \u201cbig boats of oil\u201d through the strait, a move the president said proved \u201cwe\u2019re dealing with the right people.\u201d U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff also said there’s “strong signs” a deal is possible and confirmed that Pakistan presented Iranian officials with a 15-point U.S. proposal<\/a> to end the war, which Iranian leaders publicly dismissed as \u201cexcessive.\u201d
The diplomatic initiative, which Pakistan’s deputy foreign minister said also involves Turkey and Egypt, comes nearly a month after the U.S. and Israel started the war. The fighting has killed thousands in Iran and Lebanon and dozens in other Middle East countries, including Israel. Among the dead are 13 U.S. military members. Iran, meanwhile, has managed to severely limit the movement of oil ships through the strait, driving up fuel prices.
As the Trump administration signals a possible breakthrough in negotiations, thousands of American troops have been deployed to the region, including elite paratroopers, Marines and an amphibious assault ship.
Francesca Chambers
Trump said in a phone interview that aired on “The Five” on Fox News that Iran asked for a seven-day extension of talks, but he gave them longer because they allowed at least eight\u00a0oil tankers to cross through the Strait of Hormuz.
“They asked for seven, and I said, ‘I’m going to give you 10,'” Trump said. “And they were very thankful about that.”
The president said in a Truth Social post on Wednesday afternoon that he was delaying promised strikes on Iran’s power plants for a second time while negotiations continue.
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
The U.S. military is using driverless drone speedboats to patrol the water in the Middle East, according to a statement from Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command.
The use of the boats was first reported<\/a> by Reuters.
The boats, officially called Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft, or GARC, have patrolled for more than 450 hours and more than 2,200 nautical miles since the war began, Hawkins said in the statement. They are “part of a fleet” of drone vessels that “enhance awareness of what\u2019s happening in regional waters,” he said.
Reuters
Iran\u00a0has banned national and club sports teams from travelling to countries it considers hostile until further notice, Iranian media reported on Thursday, citing the Sports Ministry, which said the move was due to concerns over the safety of its athletes.
“The presence of national and club teams in countries considered hostile and unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice,” the ministry said.
The ministry added that the Iranian football federation and clubs were required to notify the Asian Football Confederation so match venues could be relocated. It cited club team Tractor FC playing a United Arab Emirates team in Saudi Arabia in its statement, but did not specify which venues needed to be relocated or which countries were deemed hostile.
Iran have qualified for this year’s World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, although their participation in the soccer tournament has been under threat since the conflict between the Islamic Republic and the U.S. and Israel began in late February.
Francesca Chambers
Trump said in a social media post on Thursday afternoon that he was postponing strikes on Iran’s power plants for a second time while talks with Tehran to end the war continue.
“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” Trump said in the post.<\/a>
The president said “talks are ongoing,” despite reports to the contrary, and “they are going very well.”
Trump extended a deadline for Iran to reach a deal with the United States once already, saying in an early morning post on March 23 that he was postponing a threat to strike Iran’s power plants by five days.
Michael Loria
The military targeting of Iran\u2019s sole nuclear power plant could result in a “major radiological accident,” a United Nations nuclear watchdog group is warning.
“Given that it is an operating nuclear power plant with a large amount of nuclear material,” International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael M. Grossi said in a statement<\/a>, “damage to the facility could result in a major radiological accident affecting a large area in Iran and beyond.”
Grossi\u2019s call for military leaders to exercise restraint in military strikes around Iran\u2019s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant comes after at least two rounds of strikes have hit the facility located off the Persian Gulf north of the Strait of Hormuz.
The site was hit first on March 18<\/a> and again on March 24<\/a>. No injuries or damage to the site\u2019s nuclear components were reported, according to the UN agency.\u00a0
USA TODAY has reached out to the White House and U.S. military for comment.\u00a0
Financial markets gyrated Thursday as investors increasingly price in a period of higher inflation due to the ongoing war.
Stocks fell, with the S&P 500 down 1.7%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average off 1%, and the Nasdaq Composite tumbling 2.4%.
The Nasdaq holds stocks that are most vulnerable when interest rates rise, since they tend to be earlier in their lifecycles and more likely to need to borrow. In recent weeks, traders have sold bonds, which become less valuable when prices in the economy rise.
As bond prices fall, yields rise. That\u2019s what happened Thursday, when the U.S. Treasury auctioned 7-year notes. Investors reluctant to buy more government debt against a backdrop of rising inflation demanded a higher yield, according to media reports. Yields on the 7-year note are up 36 basis points since the last auction, in February, Reuters reported.
Oil resumed its climb, with Brent crude prices up about 6% to near $106. Gas prices were down fractionally compared to Wednesday, but will likely catch up to the most recent spike in oil in the coming days.
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
As of March 24, 290 U.S. servicemembers have been injured in the Iran war, according to Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command. Of those, 255 have returned to duty and 10 are seriously wounded, Hawkins said.
The number of U.S. soldiers killed in the war remains at 13<\/a> \u2013 seven were killed in Iran’s attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East, and six were killed when their KC-135 aircraft<\/a> crashed in Iraq on March 12.
Kathryn Palmer
Though only a few miles in length, Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf<\/a> is attracting outsized attention for its strategic importance as\u00a0the U.S.-Israel war on Iran<\/a>\u00a0approaches its one-month mark.
The island, which is Iran’s primary hub for oil exports, has been targeted once before by U.S. military strikes. Recent media reports suggest it could once again land in the crosshairs.
Axios<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0CNN<\/a>\u00a0have both reported in the last week that President\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0is considering using U.S. troops to invade and seize the island, citing unnamed sources.
Kharg Island\u00a0lies about 15 nautical miles off\u00a0the\u00a0coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf. About 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports are processed on this small piece of land.
Christopher Cann
Iran\u2019s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has remained defiant as the U.S. steps up its threats against the country if negotiations fail.
\u201cNo one can issue an ultimatum to Iran and the Iranian people,\u201d he said on X<\/a>.
He added: \u201cYour children will not let this opportunity slip away until the complete realization of victory and the breaking of the ominous cycle of \u2018war-ceasefire-war.\u2019\u201d
Natalie Neysa Alund
Military officials on Thursday said a U.S. Navy sailor has been injured aboard USS Abraham Lincoln while the aircraft carrier was conducting flight operations in the Arabian Sea. The injury, which U.S. Central Command reported, was not combat related, took place one day earlier.
The sailor, who suffered non life-threatening injuries, was transported ashore for additional treatment and remained in stable condition. The circumstances of what lead up to the injury remain under investigation. Military officials have not said what type of injury the sailor suffered.
Christopher Cann
The United Arab Emirates said at least 11 drones and 15 ballistic missiles have been fired at the country from Iran on Thursday, according to the UAE\u2019s defense ministry<\/a>.
The ministry said that in total, the country has contended with more than 1,800 drones and 370 ballistic missiles since the start of the war.
Francesca Chambers
Trump used his first Cabinet meeting since the start of the Iran war to try to drum up public support for the conflict<\/a> that’s nearing the four-week mark his administration laid out to meet its objectives.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth detailed aspects of U.S. involvement in the miliary conflict in rapid succession at the televised meeting, where the administration confirmed for the first time that it had sent a 15-point proposal with Iran to resolve the conflict.
Trump’s approval rating fell this week to its lowest point since he took office. A Reuters\/Ipsos<\/a>\u00a0poll released on March 24 showed 36% of Americans approved of Trump’s job performance \u2014 a decrease of four percentage points from a week before. Only a quarter, 25%, said they approved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, and 35% approved of the U.S. strikes on Iran, a two-point drop from the week before.
Speaking at the top of the meeting, Trump again described the conflict as an “excursion” and called it a “little detour” from his domestic agenda.
Francesca Chambers
Trump declined to say if he planned to send in U.S. forces to retrieve Iran’s enriched uranium, telling a reporter who asked how he intends to secure it, “Why would I ever answer a question like that?”
The dodge came as the Pentagon deployed some 7,000 additional\u00a0troops to the Middle East, including an airborne infantry division of the Army that specializes in forcible entry operations, raising the possibility of ground operations.
Christopher Cann
Asked if he would seize Iran\u2019s oil, President Trump refused to rule it out.
“It’s an option,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t talk about it, but it\u2019s an option.”
He compared the situation to the United States’ operation in Venezuela, saying the U.S. has taken in “billions and billions of dollars.”
Christopher Cann
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he anticipates increased movement of ships in the Persian Gulf, but added there\u2019ll likely be short term volatility while Iran chokes off the Strait of Hormuz.
\u201cThey are trying to take control of the global economy through a chokepoint that we believe does not exist and we will overcome,\u201d he said at a Cabinet meeting. “Many people, especially the Democrats, underestimate the will of the American people for short term volatility.”
\u201cWe are starting to see more and more movement in and out of the gulf today, and this is more than yesterday,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the beginning, I am confident, that shipping traffic will continue to increase on a daily basis even before we secure the strait.\u201d
Christopher Cann
President Donald Trump revealed the gift the U.S. received from Iranian negotiators this week: \u201cEight big boats of oil.\u201d
Trump said the Iranian officials allowed the Pakistan-flagged vessels to sail through the Strait of Hormuz this week \u201cto show you the fact that we\u2019re real and solid.\u201d
The president said in total 10 vessels were allowed through the strait in a show of good will. Trump has not revealed who was leading Iran\u2019s negotiations.
Bart Jansen
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said if peace talks fail with Iran the military will continue \u201cnegotiating with bombs.\u201d
Hegseth said he is praying for Trump\u2019s envoy Steve Witkoff to reach a deal with Iran. But if not, Hegseth said the bombing would continue, with slow-flying planes like the A-10 Warthog demonstrating that Iran has lost its air defenses.
\u201cThe Department of War will continue negotiating with bombs,\u201d Hegseth said. \u201cWar is negotiation by other means.\u201d
Christopher Cann
The Trump administration on Thursday confirmed for the first time that it has passed a 15-point “action-list” to Iran through Pakistani officials.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed the diplomatic efforts at a Cabinet meeting, saying the initiative has \u201cresulted in strong and positive messaging and talks.\u201d
\u201cWe will see where things lead, and if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point with no good alternatives for them other than more death and destruction,\u201d Witkoff said. \u201cWe have strong signs that this is a possibility, and if a deal happens it would be great for the country of Iran, for the entire region and the world at large.\u201d
He added: \u201cWe have told Iran one last thing: Don\u2019t miscalculate.\u201d
Bart Jansen
Trump\u2019s aides repeatedly emphasized the importance of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which they said could kill millions in the Middle East and eventually reach the United States.
Vice President JD Vance said eliminating the nuclear threat is the most important U.S. national security objective because Iran\u2019s suicide bombers kill dozens at a grocery store, but a nuclear weapon could kill millions.
\u201cYou don\u2019t want the worst people in the world to have a nuclear weapon,\u201d Vance said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said radical religious fanatics leading Iran can\u2019t be trusted with a nuclear weapon after attacking embassies and hotels during the war.
\u201cImagine what these people would do if they had a nuclear weapon,\u201d Rubio said. \u201cThat is an unacceptable risk for the world.\u201d
Francesca Chambers
Trump said at the beginning of his Cabinet meeting that the United States is on “a little detour” in Iran and it “won’t be long” until he returns to his domestic agenda.
Speaking about his administration’s efforts to slash federal regulations an increase global investment in America’s economy, Trump said: “We had to take a little detour. Won’t be long, gonna end soon. We had to take a little detour, go to Iran, and we had to put out a fire.
“A very dangerous fire that could have blow up portions of the world, if not the whole thing,” Trump added.
Bart Jansen
Trump said if Iran doesn\u2019t abandon its ambitions to obtain a nuclear weapon through peace negotiations, the United States will \u201cjust keep blowing them away.\u201d
Trump said negotiations continue with Iranian leaders he hasn\u2019t named. He ridiculed denials of talks from some Iranian leaders, saying they had to negotiate because their missiles, drones and navy have been largely destroyed since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began Feb. 28.
\u201cWe\u2019ll see if they want to do it. If they don\u2019t, we\u2019re their worst nightmare,\u201d Trump said. \u201cIn the meantime, we\u2019ll just keep blowing them away, unimpeded, unstopped. There\u2019s not a thing they can do about it.\u201d
Christopher Cann
President Donald Trump on Thursday said Iran is \u201cbegging to make a deal,\u201d but that \u201cI don\u2019t know if we\u2019re willing to do that.\u201d
At a Cabinet meeting, Trump said the United States military has sunk the Iranian navy and destroyed their anti-aircraft capabilities, causing its leaders to seek negotiations with the United States \u2013 a claim Iran has repeatedly denied.
\u201cThey\u2019re talking to us because they\u2019ve got a disaster on their hands. They’re defeated. They can\u2019t make a comeback,” Trump said. \u201cThey now have a chance to make a deal but that\u2019s up to them.\u201d
“And they\u2019ll tell you ‘we\u2019re not negotiating,’\u201d he added. \u201cOf course they\u2019re negotiating, they\u2019ve been obliterated.\u201d
Christopher Cann
The deputy prime minister of Pakistan on Thursday said indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran are ongoing and added that countries including Turkey and Egypt are involved in the diplomatic efforts.
\u201cThere has been unnecessary speculation in the media regarding peace talks to end ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In reality, US-Iran indirect talks are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan,\u201d Ishaq Dar wrote in a statement on X<\/a>.
\u201cIn this context, the United States has shared 15 points, being deliberated upon by Iran. Brotherly countries of Turkiye and Egypt, among others, are also extending their support to this initiative,” he wrote, adding: “Dialogue and Diplomacy is the only way forward!”
Andrea Riquier
Oil rose, stocks fell, and investors increasingly expect the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates as financial markets respond to U.S. troop deployments and Iran\u2019s denials about deals.
Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, was over $106 a barrel in the morning on March 26, and the major U.S. stock indexes all looked set to open lower. The Nasdaq Composite index, which is made up of growth-oriented technology companies, was off the most as bonds sold off, pushing yields higher.
The 10-year U.S. Treasury note jumped nearly 5 basis points \u2013 bond yields rise as prices fall \u2013 as investors increasingly expect inflation to be higher.
\u201cMarkets are currently pricing in 10 (basis points) of rate hikes for this year, which compares to expectations of 60 (basis points) of rate cuts priced in prior to the start of the US\/Israel-Iran war,\u201d said John Canavan, lead analyst for Oxford Economics, in an early morning note.
The bond market action is a reminder that consumers are being harmed by the war beyond higher gas prices. Nationwide, gas prices fell slightly on Thursday, to an average of $3.982 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.
Bart Jansen
Adm. Brad Cooper<\/a>, the head of U.S. Central Command overseeing the war against Iran, said the military has hit 10,000 targets<\/a> in Iran as of Wednesday and aims to eliminate production facilities for missiles, drones and ships.
Cooper said Iranian warships had threatened and harassed regional shipping for decades. But he said the military has destroyed 92% of Iran\u2019s larges ships.
Iran had large-scale facilities to build missiles, drones and ships. But Cooper said the military has destroyed two-thirds of Iran\u2019s manufacturing facilities for missiles, drones and shipyards.
\u201cWe\u2019re not done yet,\u201d Cooper said. \u201cWe\u2019re on a path to completely eliminate Iran\u2019s wider military manufacturing apparatus.\u201d
Bart Jansen
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his country\u2019s ships are allowed to travel through the Strait of Hormuz, after speaking to leaders of Iran, Egypt, Turkey and other Middle East countries.
Iran\u2019s strikes on oil tankers in response to the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign nearly halted shipping through the strait, where 20% of the world\u2019s oil passes. The blockage has driven up the price of fuel so countries have been tapping their strategic reserves of oil.
“We are now in the process of releasing the Malaysian oil tankers and the workers involved so that they may continue their journey home,” Anwar said in a televised address thanking Iran\u2019s president for allowing the passage of Malaysian ships. “But it is not easy, as\u00a0Iran\u00a0feels it has been deceived repeatedly and finds it difficult to accept steps toward peace without a clear and binding security guarantee for their nation.\u201d
Jeanine Santucci
Israel has eliminated Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval head Alireza\u00a0Tangsiri, Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz said on Thursday. Katz said Tangsiri was killed in an overnight strike “along with senior naval command officials,” NBC News reported.
Tangsiri has been a commander in the Revolutionary Guards since 2018 and has been a key player in closing the Strait of Hormuz.
\u201cThe individual who was directly responsible for the terrorist operation involving the mining and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has been taken out,” Katz said, according to NBC<\/a>.
Contributing: Reuters<\/em>
Zac Anderson
Trump said “it won’t be pretty” if Iran doesn’t get serious about negotiating, warning Tehran in a social media post as the war approaches the one-month mark.
The president has said that Iranian leaders are negotiating with the U.S. to end the war and are eager to make a deal, writing Thursday that they are “begging’ us to make a deal.” Yet he also said that “The Iranian negotiators are very different and strange” and that they “publicly state that they are only looking at our proposal.”
Iranian leaders say there are no negotiations to end the war and none planned.
“They better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won\u2019t be pretty!” Trump said in his social media post<\/a>.
Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump said that NATO countries have done “absolutely nothing” to help with Iran.
“THE U.S.A. NEEDS NOTHING FROM NATO, BUT \u201cNEVER FORGET\u201d THIS VERY IMPORTANT POINT IN TIME!” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday.
Callie Carmichael
Several Americans trying to flee the Middle East amid the United States war with Iran are\u00a0expressing their frustrations<\/a>\u00a0with the State Department’s efforts to get them out of the region.\u00a0
Emaan Abbass, a beauty consultant from the United States, had been living in Dubai for more than nine years. In an interview with USA TODAY, she said she\u2019d felt secure and safe living there until\u00a0the war with Iran began on Feb. 28<\/a>. By\u00a0March 2<\/a>, she enrolled in the\u00a0STEP program<\/a>, a free service for U.S. citizens and nationals so that the State Department can contact them in case of an emergency. Abbass took it upon herself to book a flight out to Cairo, where she had family.
Her first official correspondence from the department came on March 10 via email. “We have booked you on an evacuation flight out of Dubai tomorrow,” meaning March 11. She responded that she was releasing her seat to someone else because she had already gotten out.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told USA TODAY in an email that “the State Department has reached out to every American who has registered interest in our support and offered them personalized assistance.\u202f” Read more<\/a><\/strong>.
Francesca Chambers
During a speech to House Republicans on Wednesday, President Trump acknowledged that he has avoided referring to the U.S. bombing campaign in Iran as a war because Democrats have been arguing that wars require consent from Congress.
“I won’t use the word ‘war’ because they say if you use the word ‘war’ that’s maybe not a good thing to do. They don’t like the word ‘war’ because you’re supposed to get approval, so I’ll use the word ‘military operation,’ which is really what it is,” Trump said.
“It’s called a ‘military decimation,’ but they don’t like the good publicity. They don’t like to see us succeed,” he added.
Trump officials have argued that the U.S. operation does not require congressional approval because the administration briefed senior congressional leaders before the attacks began and the hostilities have lasted less than the 60-90 days that are specifiied in the War Powers Resolution of 1973.<\/p>\n

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President Donald Trump is postponing strikes again on Iran\u2019s power plants as the United States and Iranian officials are engaged in negotiations to end the war.“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":205455,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-205454","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}