The Digester
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Iran denies talks with Trump and says he retreated

Mar 23rd 2026 · Iran

Donald Trump announced productive talks with Iran and a five day pause on strikes against Iranian power plants, but Iranian officials and state media directly denied any contact and said Trump retreated after threats to target regional energy infrastructure.

  • President Trump said the U.S. and Iran held "very good and productive conversations" and that he ordered a five day postponement of strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure.
  • Iran's foreign ministry and state media denied any direct or indirect contact with Trump and said no negotiations took place.
  • Iran claimed Trump backed down after Tehran warned it would target energy infrastructure across West Asia.
  • Trump told CNBC he hopes to make a deal and called developments in Iran regime change, while a US senator said the postponement was intended to calm financial markets.

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