Iran and US may hold talks in Islamabad as soon as this week - Reuters

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said there have been no negotiations with the United States during the 24 days of war, adding that the Islamic Republic’s position on the Strait of Hormuz and conditions for ending the conflict remain unchanged.

Speaking to IRNA, Esmail Baghaei said messages had been conveyed in recent days through several “friendly countries,” indicating what he called Washington’s interest in negotiations to end the war.

He said Iran had responded in line with its “principled positions" and issued warnings in its replies about the “severe consequences” of any attack on Iran’s vital infrastructure.

He stressed that any action targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure would be met with a “decisive, immediate and effective” response by Iranian armed forces.

Inside Iran, fears of widespread blackouts have prompted many citizens to prepare for worst-case scenarios. In the past two days social media reports indicate that many have rushed to purchase home generators, batteries, radios, flashlights, water, food, medicine, and fuel in the past two days.

Users on X, many among whom use the hashtag #SpareIranPowerPlants warn that destroying power plants could trigger “the complete collapse of other vital infrastructures,” including water systems, sewage networks, the internet, and mobile communications, and could lead to food shortages and the breakdown of healthcare services.

“Striking power plants only helps the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) portray its savagery as legitimate and could be the biggest miscalculation of this war,” one user posted.

Trump postpones ultimatum

On Monday, as Trump’s 48-hour deadline to Tehran drew near, he wrote on Truth Social that he had ordered the Pentagon to halt “all military attacks” on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.

Trump said “very good and constructive talks” aimed at a “complete resolution of hostilities in the Middle East” had taken place over the past two days between Tehran and Washington and added that discussions would continue through the week.

According to Axios, officials from Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan have been mediating and passing messages between Tehran and Washington in recent days.

In a phone interview with CNBC, Trump described the talks as “very intense” and said he remained hopeful for a “very significant outcome.”

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, rejected any talks with Washington over the past 24 days, saying that Tehran's position on the Strait of Hormuz and its conditions for ending the war have not changed.

Diverging interpretations

The five-day pause has temporarily eased tensions but deepened uncertainty over Washington’s intentions. In Iran, some interpreted the pause as a retreat.

Mohammad Hossein Khoshvaght, a former government official with close ties to the ruling establishment wrote: “As predicted, Trump backed down from the threat of attacking our power plants in the face of Iran's power and resolve, showing that he only understands the language of strength and submits to it!”

Some others described the move as deception or an attempt to stabilize global markets.

A pro-government user wrote: Trump's contradictory behaviors indicate that we are dealing with a clear pattern of ‘deception operations’.”

“Just a few days ago, he claimed there was no one in Iran to negotiate with, and now he's talking about delaying the attack and engaging in dialogue. This fluctuation is not a sign of Trump's strength, but rather an effort to reduce the pressures of war and manage global public opinion,” he added.

Yet others, particularly among the opposition, appear confused by what they see as inconsistencies in Trump’s positions.

“So, while Trump was holding ‘deep, precise, and constructive’ negotiations with the Islamic Republic, he set a 48-hour ultimatum to strike Iran's energy infrastructure, and when he felt he'd had a ‘very good and constructive’ negotiation, he extended the ultimatum by five days?” a user asked.

Responsibility and blame

Some among the opposition argue that the responsibility for the crisis lies with the Islamic Republic and the IRGC.

“We must firmly demand that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accept Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz If we are truly concerned about ‘Iran’,” dissident academic Ali Sharifi-Zarchi posted on X.

From a legal perspective, UK-based human rights lawyer Mohammad Moghimi warned that destroying power grids would “jeopardize access to water, food, and medical care” and argued that attacking civilian infrastructure is “a clear violation of international law and a war crime.”

Exiled prince's position

Iran's exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi on Sunday called on Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid targeting civilian infrastructure while maintaining pressure on the Iranian government.

“Iran’s civilian infrastructure belongs to the Iranian people and to the future of a free Iran. The Islamic Republic’s infrastructure is the machinery of repression and terror used to keep that future from becoming reality,” he wrote on X, adding: “Iran must be protected. The regime must be dismantled.”

In a separate post, he added: “President Trump is right (about Peace Through Strength). This regime only understands strength… When Iran is free, the world will have lasting peace.”

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf is leading talks with the United States, the Jerusalem Post reported on Monday, citing a source.

The report said Ghalibaf is heading negotiations between Tehran and Washington as the two sides discuss a possible deal.

US President Donald Trump said earlier that talks with Iran involved “top” leadership, but did not identify specific individuals.

The Jerusalem Post report pointed to Ghalibaf as the key figure representing Iran in the discussions.

Trump told reporters that Israel would likely support any agreement reached with Tehran, adding that recent contacts with Israeli officials had been positive.

“I think Israel will be very happy with what we have,” Trump said. “This will be peace for Israel - long-term peace, guaranteed peace if this happens.”

He said Iran had initiated contact and showed willingness to negotiate, though he stressed any deal must prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Trump says Iran must give up nuclear ambitions

Trump said the central condition of any agreement would be that Iran abandon its nuclear program.

“They’re not going to have nuclear weapons anymore. They’re agreeing to that,” he said.

He added that if a deal is reached, the United States would take control of Iran’s enriched uranium. “We’ll go down and we’ll take it ourselves,” he said.

Trump also said he believed recent US military strikes had significantly set back Iran’s nuclear capabilities, warning that without such action Tehran could have developed a weapon within weeks.

“If we didn’t hit them … they would have had a nuclear weapon within two weeks to a month,” he said.

Trump signals openness to oil flows despite sanctions questions

The president said he supported allowing Iranian oil already at sea to enter global markets, arguing that increasing supply would help stabilize the system.

“I just want to have as much oil in the system as possible,” Trump said, adding it was unclear how much revenue Iran would ultimately receive.

“Any small amount of money that Iran gets is not going to have any difference in this war,” he said.

Trump says Mojtaba Khamenei ‘unavailable’

Trump said Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s supreme leader, was “unavailable,” adding that his status was unclear.

“Khamenei’s son is unavailable. Nobody knows what happened to him,” Trump said. “Something is going on with him.”

He said he did not view Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s main leader but noted that several Iranian leadership groups had been targeted.

Trump points to possible political change in Iran

Trump suggested that a form of political transition could emerge in Iran, saying many senior figures had been removed.

“There’s automatically a regime change,” he said, while adding that the United States was in contact with individuals he described as “reasonable” and “respected.”

He also said oil prices could fall sharply if an agreement is reached.

“The price of oil will drop like a rock as soon as a deal is done,” Trump said.

Trump says deal is possible but not guaranteed

Trump said negotiations were ongoing and expressed cautious optimism about the outcome.

“We have a very serious chance of making a deal,” he said. “I think if I were a betting man, I’d bet for it. But again, I’m not guaranteeing anything.”

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran had reached out to Washington for talks ahead of planned strikes on its energy infrastructure.

“They called, I didn’t call. They want to make a deal, and we are very willing to make a deal,” Trump said.

He said the United States had been prepared to strike major Iranian power plants, adding: “We were expected to blow up their largest electric generating plants… why would they want that?”

Trump said any deal would require Iran to abandon nuclear weapons, saying: “They’re not going to have nuclear weapons anymore… any of that stuff is no deal.”

He also said the US could take control of Iran’s enriched uranium if an agreement is reached: “If we have a deal with them, we’re going down and we’ll take it ourselves.”

Trump described Iran as “a country that has been evil for 47 years,” adding it had caused “death all over the world” and remained a longstanding threat.