Trump lifts Iran threat after 'very good' talks on ending war
President Donald Trump said Monday the United States and Iran had held "very good" talks towards ending the three-week Middle East war, putting threatened US attacks on Iran's power plants on hold in a stunning about-turn.
In a social media post that immediately sent oil prices tumbling, Trump said Washington and Tehran had held "productive conversations" over the last two days towards "a complete and total resolution" of hostilities in the Middle East.
Based on the talks, Trump said he had instructed the Pentagon 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."
The previously unreported US-Iranian talks would "continue throughout the week," Trump said.
The bombshell announcement came ahead of a Monday night ultimatum for the Islamic republic to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane -- or see Trump "obliterate" its power plants.
In response, Iran had threatened to deploy naval mines in the Gulf and target power plants across the region -- ramping up its rhetoric after warnings the world faced an energy crisis of historic proportions if the US-Israeli war with Iran drags on.
- Strikes -
Tehran has retaliated against US-Israeli assaults by throttling traffic through Hormuz, conduit for a fifth of global crude, hitting energy sites and US embassies across the Gulf as well as targets in Israel.
Israel hit Tehran with fresh strikes early Monday -- with AFP witnessing a thick plume of black smoke billowing in the city's east.
Later in the day, another series of blasts were heard in the Iranian capital, though it was not immediately clear what had been hit.
The head of the International Energy Agency warned overnight that, in the event of a protracted war, daily oil losses put the world on track for a crisis worse than the combined impact of both 1970s oil shocks and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Oil prices have been driven above $100 a barrel by the conflict -- and tumbled sharply after Trump's Monday announcement.
International benchmark Brent North Sea crude plunged more than 14 percent to $96.00 per barrel, while the main US oil contract West Texas Intermediate shed more than 14 percent to $84.37 per barrel.
Sign of the conflict's tentacular impact, the world's second economy China said earlier Monday it was capping domestic fuel cost increases to mitigate the effect of surging oil prices.
- 'Weeks' more fighting -
Weighing in before Trump's announcement, China's foreign ministry had warned of an "uncontrollable situation" should the war expand further.
Key Iran ally Russia meanwhile called after the Washington-Tehran talks were revealed for an "immediate cessation of hostilities".
In a call with Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi, Russia's Sergei Lavrov called for "a political settlement that takes into account the legitimate interests of all parties involved, above all Iran," the Russian foreign ministry said.
The US president had offered varying timelines and objectives for the war, saying Friday he was considering "winding down" the operation -- only to later threaten Iran's power plants -- of which it has more than 90.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has meanwhile spoken of a long-term campaign against Iran's government, a state sponsor of Hamas, which launched the October 7, 2023 attack triggering the Gaza war.
Israel has also expanded its ground campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, warning of "weeks of fighting" in the country.
The Lebanon violence has killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than a million, according to the health ministry.
- Iran takes toll in Israel -
Israel prides itself on its air defences, and Trump and Netanyahu both claim to have knocked out key Iranian military sites.
But Iranian missiles evaded the defences over the weekend to land in two southern towns, including Dimona, close to Israel's desert nuclear facility, injuring dozens on Saturday.
According to rescuers, a missile landed about five kilometres from what is widely believed to be the Middle East's only atomic arsenal -- although Israel denies possessing nuclear weapons.
On Monday Israel's military said it was working to intercept a new salvo of missiles from Iran -- while confirming its own artillery fire had killed an Israeli civilian a day earlier near the Lebanese border.
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M.Davis--TNT
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