President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that the planned attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure have been extended to allow time for more talks.
“As per Iranian Government request, I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Hours earlier, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf said the Islamic Republic won’t be intimidated. “No one can issue an ultimatum to Iran and the Iranian people,” he posted on X.
Iran is reportedly preparing to deploy over 1 million fighters if the United States orders a ground operation, according to Tasnim, citing an IRGC source.
The Pentagon is deploying thousands more service members from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, as well as additional assets, to the Middle East.
Former Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant backs Kharg Island’s takeover by the U.S. He admits the operation requires thousands of troops, air and naval support, but opines the risk is worth taking.
Writing in Bari Weiss’s Free Press, Gallant called the island Iran’s “greatest choke point”, saying its seizure is the only way to compel Tehran “to accept conditions that end its nuclear threat and regional aggression.”
Speaking before his departure to the G7 summit in France, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said progress has been made regarding global oil shipments
“There’s a growing amount of energy that’s been flowing through the Strait—not as much as should be flowing, but some of it has picked up,” he told reporters.
The diplomat said the Strait of Hormuz can open immediately if Iran stops threatening global shipping, which he called a violation of international law.
Rubio added that countries that care about international law “should be doing something about it,” a veiled reference to allies who are maintaining neutrality in the war.
On Thursday, German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius called the fighting “a catastrophe for the world’s economies,” and reiterated Europe’s stance: “We don’t want to get sucked into that war.”
