US Holds Off on Strike Against Iran's Oil Industry for Nearly Two Weeks

US President Donald Trump has granted Iran a 10-day extension, until April 6, to open the Strait of Hormuz, as part of his ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict. This new deadline represents a further postponement of the original 48-hour ultimatum issued by Trump, which had threatened attacks on Iranian energy facilities if the Strait remained closed.

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The initial deadline had been extended by five days to March 27, after Iran failed to respond to Trump's demands, and this latest extension has been made at the request of the Iranian government. Trump announced the new deadline in a social media post, stating that talks with Iran are progressing well, despite claims to the contrary from the media and other sources.

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Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, has confirmed that his country is acting as a mediator between the US and Iran, facilitating communication between the two nations in an effort to bring an end to the conflict. Turkey and Egypt are also providing support for these mediation efforts, which aim to find a peaceful resolution to the war.

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In a recent interview with Fox News, Trump revealed that Iran had requested a seven-day extension, but he had chosen to grant them 10 days instead, until April 6 at 8 P.M. Eastern Time. Trump also claimed that the US has already emerged victorious in the conflict, stating "in a certain sense, we have already won".

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Earlier in the conflict, Trump had urged Iranian leaders to negotiate a peaceful resolution or face further targeted assassinations of senior officials, as part of intensified US and Israeli military action. This threat followed an Israeli strike on the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, which reportedly killed the Revolutionary Guards' naval commander, Alireza Tangsiri, and several other senior officers.

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The foreign ministers of the G7 group of nations have issued a joint statement calling for an immediate end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the US-Israel war on Iran. The G7 ministers, who include representatives from the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the European Union, emphasized the need to minimize the conflict's impact on regional partners and critical infrastructure.

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The G7 ministers also reiterated the importance of restoring safe and toll-free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been a key point of contention in the conflict. Their statement was issued on the second day of a G7 meeting in France, where the ongoing war in the Middle East was a major topic of discussion.

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Iran's military has warned that hotels housing US soldiers in the Middle East will be considered legitimate targets in the conflict, with armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi stating that any location used by US forces will be subject to attack. This warning follows accusations by Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, that US soldiers are using people in Gulf Cooperation Council countries as "human shields".

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According to the Fars news agency, Iran has sent warnings to hotels in the region, particularly in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, advising them not to accommodate US soldiers. Iran's military has also identified locations in Syria, Lebanon, and Djibouti where US forces are allegedly using similar tactics to hide in hotels and offices.

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Iran has accused its neighbors of allowing US forces to carry out attacks from their territory, but the Gulf states have repeatedly denied these accusations, stating that they will not permit their territory or airspace to be used to launch attacks on Iran. This denial has been consistent with their pre-war stance, and they continue to maintain that they will not be used as a base for military action against Iran.