US PRESIDENT Donald Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, saying today that the US would hold off on threatened strikes against Iranian power plants for five days.

In his social media announcement, President Trump also held out the possibility of a resolution to the war.

President Trump said over the weekend that the US would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants unless the country releases its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, a deadline that would have expired today Washington time.

But this morning, President Trump posted on social media that the US and Iran have had “very good and productive conversations” that could yield “a complete and total resolution” in the war.

Mr Trump added that the suspension of his threat to attack power plants was “subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”

President Trump did not elaborate on the negotiations that had taken place, but the Iran newspaper reported that Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied that there have been any talks.

“Remarks by the US president are part of efforts to reduce energy prices and buy time to implement his military plans,” the newspaper said.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that he spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi also said today that Egypt has delivered “clear messages” to Iran focusing on de-escalating the conflict, according to his office.

President Trump later told reporters that Iran wants “to make a deal” and claimed US envoys have been holding talks with an unnamed “respected” Iranian leader.

He claimed that his Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner conducted talks Sunday into the evening, and that the negotiations would continue.

President Trump did not name any official or officials representing Tehran but said the US has not talked to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Shortly after President Trump’s social media announcement Iranian state television declared that the US leader had backed down “following Iran’s firm warning.”

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard promised retaliation if President Trump made good on his threat, saying Iran would hit power plants in all areas that supply electricity to US bases, “as well as the economic, industrial and energy infrastructures in which Americans have shares.”

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said that Iran would consider vital infrastructure across the region to be legitimate targets, including energy and desalination facilities critical for drinking water in Gulf nations.