Trump postpones strikes on Iran's power plants, but Iran denies talks
Iranian state media said there was no "direct or indirect communication" with President Trump.
Updated on: March 23, 2026 / 6:50 PM EDT / CBS News
Washington — President Trump said early Monday that he is postponing airstrikes on Iran's power plants after "very good and productive conversations" over the last two days about reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran initially denied any such talks, but a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official later told CBS News exclusively that "we received points from the U.S. through mediators and they are being reviewed."
"I have instructed the Department of War 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 and discussions," Mr. Trump posted on social media .
In a statement, Iran's Foreign Ministry denied the claims made by Mr. Trump regarding negotiations. But speaking to reporters on Monday morning, Mr. Trump suggested that was incorrect.
"Well, they're going to have to get themselves better public relations people," Mr. Trump said. "We have had very, very strong talks. We'll see where they lead. We have points, major points of agreement, I would say almost all points of agreement. Perhaps that hasn't been conveyed. The communication, as you know, has been blown to pieces."