US President Donald Trump has announced a 10-day extension to his pause on threatened strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure, now set to expire on 6 April. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed the delay was requested by Tehran and that negotiations are proceeding well, despite denials from Iranian officials and criticism from media outlets.
The threat originally emerged last Saturday when Trump warned he would target Iranian energy facilities if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He postponed the deadline on Monday for five days, citing productive conversations, a claim Iran dismissed as disinformation aimed at manipulating oil markets. The latest extension pushes the deadline to 6 April at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
Meanwhile, regional tensions remain high. Explosions were reported in Beirut’s southern suburbs early Friday, in what local media described as an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah stronghold. Israeli forces have been bombing Lebanon and conducting ground operations since 2 March, establishing a so-called defensive buffer zone. Hezbollah has continued cross-border attacks, and Israeli officials warn of military strain due to manpower shortages.
In a separate development, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported severe explosions at a US military base in Saudi Arabia, allegedly from drone attacks on the Sultan Amir base. The Houthi movement in Yemen has downplayed fears of escalation in the Red Sea, even as Trump threatens to seize Iran’s Kharg Island. South Korean and Japanese stock markets fell sharply on Friday amid fading hopes for a ceasefire.
