Successful U.S. Military Action Against Iran 'Reason Iran Means Business,' Says Trump

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - President Donald Trump participated in a roundtable discussion on public safety at a Tennessee Air National Guard Base, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee, and announced a temporary postponement of planned U.S. military strikes against major Iranian energy and electricity targets.

Trump said the pause followed preliminary discussions between the United States and Iran over the past two days and indicated that further talks would continue over a five-day period to determine whether a broader agreement could be reached.

During the session, Trump described the discussions as “very, very good” and stated that they involved unspecified Iranian interlocutors. He noted that the planned strikes had been delayed due to these initial contacts and expressed optimism about potential outcomes. “We’re doing a five-day period. We’ll see how that goes,” he said, adding that additional communication would likely occur by telephone.

Trump framed the negotiations as part of long-term efforts with Iran, stating, “I know my whole life has been a negotiation, but with Iran, we’ve been negotiating for a long time, and this time they mean business. And it's only because of the great job that our military did is the reason they mean business.”

Trump also reiterated that the United States had eliminated multiple Iranian leaders, emphasizing that prior U.S. military actions contributed to Iran now having “one more opportunity to end its threats to America and her allies.”

He highlighted that Iranian parties had met internally to select new leadership following prior eliminations, noting that “now nobody wants to be the leader” and describing the position as “one of the few political jobs that nobody wants anywhere in the world.”

The president further addressed the status of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, asserting that Tehran had agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons.

Trump noted, however, that the discussions were ongoing and that no formal agreement had yet been finalized. He added that the temporary pause was intended to allow both sides to explore a possible settlement while considering regional allies, including Israel.

Trump’s comments came as Iranian officials continued to deny that any formal negotiations with the United States were taking place.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf reiterated Monday that no negotiations had been conducted with Washington and described reports of contact as attempts to influence global markets.

Qalibaf said in a statement posted on his official account that “no type of negotiation has been conducted with the United States of America” and labeled reports of U.S.-Iran engagement as “fake news.”

Earlier reporting by Axios had cited an Israeli official suggesting that U.S. envoys, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had communicated with Qalibaf through intermediaries and that efforts were underway to arrange a potential meeting in Islamabad later in the week.

Iranian authorities, however, maintained that such contacts were procedural and did not constitute negotiations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said Monday that Tehran had received messages from the United States via “several friendly and allied countries,” but emphasized that these exchanges did not amount to formal dialogue. “We have not conducted any kind of dialogue or negotiation with the United States of America,” he stated.

Baqaei also warned that any military action targeting Iranian energy infrastructure would elicit a “decisive, immediate, and effective response” from the Iranian armed forces. He reiterated Iran’s positions on the Strait of Hormuz and the conditions for ending the conflict remained unchanged.

The differing accounts from Washington and Tehran highlight a continuing divergence over the nature and status of communications between the two countries. U.S. officials have attributed the temporary suspension of strikes to what Trump described as “constructive conversations,” while Iranian authorities emphasized that the exchanges were indirect and procedural.

A senior Iranian security official cited by Tasnim News Agency said “no negotiations with Trump are taking place” and suggested that U.S. financial and logistical considerations contributed to the postponement of military action.

The developments occur amid the fourth week of an ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. U.S. military deployments in the region have included additional naval assets and personnel, while Iran has conducted missile and drone operations targeting locations in the Gulf and southern Israel.

Trump framed the five-day period as a window to determine whether an agreement could be achieved without further military action. He said, “Hopefully, we won’t have to [attack]. And hopefully, we can make a deal that’s good for all of us, including the Middle Eastern allies that have been very good to us, including Israel.”

The president also reiterated that the U.S. military’s prior actions had contributed to the current situation, emphasizing that further negotiations depended on ongoing dialogue and procedural discussions.

The temporary suspension of strikes represents the latest development in a series of high-level communications and military actions, with both sides maintaining their respective narratives regarding the nature and progress of contacts. Trump characterized the discussions as promising but did not provide further operational details beyond the five-day pause.

The U.S. president indicated that the outcome of the current discussions could influence the future course of U.S.-Iran engagements, without specifying any formal commitments or agreements at this stage.

The five-day pause marks the current status of U.S. military planning and the ongoing exchanges between Washington and Tehran.