_updates.jpg)
U.S. President Donald Trump said he will extend a pause on attacks against Iran's energy plants into April and that talks with Iran were going "very well," but an Iranian official said a U.S. proposal for ending the war was "one-sided and unfair."
The four-week war has spread across the Middle East killing thousands of people, hitting the global economy with soaring energy prices, fueling global inflation fears.
The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28 after talks about Tehran's nuclear program failed to yield a deal.
Trump wrote in his Truth Social post that talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the 'Fake News Media' and others, they are going very well."
Iran, on the contrary, said it is not engaged in talks with Washington.
Moreover, the U.S. president said that the Iranians had asked for a seven-day pause on strikes on energy plants.
On March 23, Trump announced a halt to all strikes against power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period but has now extended it to 10 days.
The war has massively disrupted shipping, sending crude oil prices up around 40%, seen liquefied natural gas prices spike, and prices for nitrogen-based fertilizers, critical to food production, rise around 50%.
Despite Trump's upbeat assessment, Iran continued to retaliate against U.S. and Israeli strikes by hitting Israel and U.S. bases.
It also struck Gulf states and effectively blocked Middle East fuel exports via the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas.
Trump suggested on Thursday that Iran let 10 oil tankers transit the Strait of Hormuz as a goodwill gesture in negotiations—part of a 15-point newly proposed peace plan.
However, Iran rejected the peace plan, as it felt that it only served U.S. and Israeli interests.
Trump said the U.S. would become Iran's "worst nightmare" if it did not comply with U.S. demands, which include opening the Strait of Hormuz and ending its nuclear program. He said taking control of Iran's oil was an option but gave no details.
As reported, the proposal included demands ranging from dismantling Iran's nuclear program to curbing its missiles and effectively handing over control of the strait.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops and has deployed uncrewed drone speedboats for patrols as part of its operations against Iran.
Iran has hardened its stance since the war began, demanding guarantees against future military action, compensation for losses, and formal control of the strait, Iranian sources say.
On Thursday, Iran again launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, striking Tel Aviv, Haifa and other areas, including a Palestinian town in central Israel.
_updates.jpg)
