The U.S. and Iran had “very good and productive” talks about ending hostilities in the Middle East over the weekend, President Trump said Monday.
Mr. Trump said he would not target power plants or energy infrastructure for five days as the talks continue through the week.
The president’s message, issued on social media, was one of the firmest indications yet of a cessation in the fighting that began with U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
“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,” Mr. Trump wrote in all-caps for emphasis.
Mr. Trump had threatened to wipe out Iran’s power plants if it did not open the Strait of Hormuz. He issued the threat late Saturday, giving Iran 48 hours to comply.
Markets reacted positively to Monday’s Truth Social post. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shot up 800 points to open the trading week, and the price of Brent crude oil, an international benchmark, dropped about 10% to around $100 per barrel.
SEE ALSO: U.S., Iran trade escalation threats over power plants, Strait of Hormuz
Separately, Mr. Trump told CNBC’s Joe Kernen that “we are very intent on making a deal with Iran.”
He said the talks had been intense and said the unfolding situation in Iran could be described as regime change.
State news in Iran characterized the situation differently than Mr. Trump did.
Mr. Trump blamed the denials on a miscommunication within Iran. He did not specify who U.S. negotiators are talking to, though he said the administration has not contacted the new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
“They’re unable to talk to each other, but we’ve had very strong talks,” Mr. Trump told reporters in Florida. “They want very much to make a deal. We want to make a deal, too.”
Mr. Trump said his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were dealing with a “top person.”
The president said he was not naming the Iranian contact for security reasons.
“I don’t want him to be killed,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump says he wants to keep Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon, dismantle its navy and missile program and prevent it from supporting terror proxies in the Middle East.
The president repeated his wish list on Monday.
“We want no enrichment, but we also want the enriched uranium,” Mr. Trump said. “If this happens, it’s a great start for Iran to build itself back.”
He also said Israel should be amenable to an emerging deal between the U.S. and Iran.
Mr. Trump says the military is ahead of schedule in its aims but is also grappling with Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply.
The national average price of a gallon of gas has reached $3.95 after sitting below $3 a month ago, according to the AAA motor club.
Mr. Trump defended his decision to lift sanctions on Iran’s oil even as he wages war on Tehran, saying it will help markets.
“I want to have the system be lubricated,” Mr. Trump said.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the war effort Monday during remarks at CERAWeek, a major oil and gas conference.
“This is a conflict that we simply couldn’t kick down the road one more administration,” he said.
He said there are “short-term disruptions right now, but to end a multidecadal problem and lead to a world that’s much more peaceful, can be much more prosperous.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.