- Iran's state media called Trump's strike suspension on power grids a sign of US hesitation
- Tehran's Press TV denied any direct or indirect talks with the US were ongoing
- Iranian officials said Trump's pause came due to Iran's credible military threats
Iran's main state-aligned media moved quickly today to call US President Donald Trump's decision to suspend strikes on the Islamic nation's power grid as evidence of US hesitation. Iran alluded that it wants to take the path of deterrence rather than concession as talks crept forward.
Trump's announcement about a five-day window in which the US would hold off on hitting Iranian power plants and related infrastructure was met in Tehran's media ecosystem with a mix of derision and triumph.
Iran media Press TV reported there was no contact for talks with the US, whether direct or indirect.
Press TV reported that a senior security official has said Trump withdrew the talks offer due to Iran's credible military threats and rising financial pressures in the US and the West. Negotiations are not happening and psychological warfare won't restore the Strait of Hormuz or stabilise energy markets, the official said, adding Trump's five-day ultimatum only underscores ongoing plans for attacks, which Iran will respond to with full-scale defence.
Mehr News in a post on social media said recent attacks on energy sites and Tehran's response had "forced" Washington to reconsider. Mehr said Trump's threat was "a bluff", citing the postponement of US strikes as evidence.
Tehran Times hurled an insult directed at Trump, calling his strategy a retreat masquerading as diplomacy.
Iran's state broadcaster IRIB followed with a pair of posts linking the pause to Iran's military warnings. It recalled the closure of the Strait of Hormuz until damaged plants were repaired, and strikes on Israeli energy and related infrastructure. IRIB indicated Trump paused not out of goodwill but because Tehran had placed the region's power grid in the line of fire.
Press TV declared that Trump had "backed down again", placing the five-day halt in a sequence of supposed reversals.
Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, in a post on X said, "Trump and America have backed down again. The field is still charging forward. Another defeat for the devil."
The Iranian media reaction showed a unified voice to say that deterrence has worked fine for the country, escalation would remain mutual, and the energy grid would stay a battlefield. They did not mention any "productive conversations" that Trump had cited.
Diplomatically, the space carved out by Trump's pause is narrow as five days offer little room for structured negotiation, especially with multiple fronts still active and each regional actor running its own clock.
