US President Donald Trump has extended a pause on strikes targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure until early April, as Washington signals that diplomacy remains its preferred path forward in the escalating conflict. The temporary halt, announced as a 10-day window, comes amid claims from Trump that negotiations with Tehran are progressing, though the situation on the ground suggests continued volatility. Oil prices declined and headed for their sharpest weekly drop in six months after Trump's announcement of a 10-day pause on strikes targeting the country’s energy infrastructure.
The war, now in its fourth week, has rapidly expanded beyond its initial flashpoints after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran following the collapse of nuclear talks. The conflict has since spread across the Middle East, drawing in multiple countries, disrupting critical oil routes and pushing global energy prices higher, with ripple effects across financial markets.
