U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (March 23) he had given orders to postpone any military strikes against Iranian power plants for five days, hours ahead of a deadline that threatened further escalation in the conflict now in its fourth week.

"They called. They want to make a deal. And we are very willing to make a deal. There's got to be a good deal and it's got to be no more wars, no more nuclear weapons. They're not going to have nuclear weapons anymore, "Trump told reporters.

He declined to say who the United States was speaking with in Iran but said it was not Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Trump also said he had spoken with U.S. war ally Israel, which he said would be "very happy with what we have."

A source briefed on Israel's war plans said Washington had kept it informed of its talks with Tehran, and that Israel was likely to follow Washington in suspending any targeting of Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on talks with Iran or Washington's decision to suspend strikes on some Iranian targets.

Posted by: Alma Angeles/NET25 News