WRAPUP 2-Trump extends pause on striking Iran's energy plants into April

By Parisa Hafezi, Alexander Cornwell and Steve Holland

DUBAI/TEL AVIV/WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - 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 as "one-sided and unfair."

The four-week war has spread across the Middle East killing thousands of people and hit the global economy with soaring energy prices, fuelling 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.

On Thursday, Trump threatened during a cabinet meeting at the White House to increase pressure on Iran if it did not make a deal, before later posting on social media that he would pause attacks on Iranian energy plants for 10 days until April 6, 2026 at 2000 EDT (0000 GMT on April 7).

"Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well," he added in his Truth Social post.

Iran has said it is not engaged in talks with Washington.

Trump has not identified with whom the U.S. is negotiating in Iran, with many high-ranking officials killed in the war.

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.

Iran did not asked for a 10-day pause on strikes on its energy plants, the Wall Street Journal cited peace talk mediators as saying.

Trump told Fox News' "The Five" program that the Iranians had asked for a seven-day pause on strikes on energy plants. There was no immediate reaction from Tehran.

DRONE SPEEDBOATS

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, including some Pakistan-flagged vessels.

The Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East so that Trump has more military options, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing officials at the department.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

The United States has deployed uncrewed drone speedboats for patrols as part of its operations against Iran, the Pentagon told Reuters, the first time Washington has confirmed using such vessels in an active conflict.

Trump said the U.S. would become the 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.

IRAN REJECTS US 15 POINT PLAN

An Iranian official told Reuters that a 15-point U.S. proposal, conveyed to Tehran by Pakistan, was reviewed in detail on Wednesday by senior Iranian officials and the representative of Iran's supreme leader, who felt it served only U.S. and Israeli interests.

However, diplomacy had not ended, the official said.

The proposal included demands ranging from dismantling Iran's nuclear program to curbing its missiles and effectively handing over control of the strait, according to sources and reports.

Pakistan's foreign minister said "indirect talks" between the U.S. and Iran were taking place through messages relayed by Islamabad, with other states including Turkey and Egypt also supporting mediation efforts.

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.

It also told intermediaries that Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire deal, regional sources said.

On Thursday, Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, striking Tel Aviv, Haifa and other areas, including a Palestinian town in central Israel.

At least one ballistic missile hit Tel Aviv, according to Israel's military, while others carried cluster missiles that dispersed smaller explosives, damaging homes and cars.

Israel’s ambulance service said a man was killed in Nahariya after Hezbollah fired a rocket barrage at the northern city.

In Iran, strikes hit the southern city of Bandar Abbas and a village on the outskirts of the southern city of Shiraz. A university building in Isfahan was reported to have been hit.