President Donald J. Trump offered the Islamic Republic of Iran a potential five-day ceasefire early Monday, March 23, 2026, following what he described as “very good and productive conversations” regarding a complete resolution of hostilities in the Middle East.
In his Truth Social post, Trump stated that he had instructed the Department of War to postpone military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days, subject to the success of ongoing negotiations. He also warned that Iran would face targeted attacks on its electrical grid if it failed to immediately open the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, issued a statement denying any U.S.-Iranian talks occurred. The embassy claimed that Trump “backed down” after Iran threatened to retaliate by targeting energy infrastructure across the region should U.S. strikes proceed.
White House officials reported that discussions between Iranian negotiators and Trump’s team, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, took place as recently as the previous night. Some U.S. analysts noted that Iran’s command structure is so degraded that certain elements of the regime may not be aware of their leaders’ actions, potentially explaining the embassy’s denial.
Later on Monday, Trump told reporters outside Air Force One that Iran “may need to get better PR people.”
