Trump, Iran give contradictory reasons for pause in strikes

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It’s Monday. Welcome back! Does anyone else think March is flying by? The D.C. cherry blossoms are now expected to reach peak bloom this week because of the warm weather over the weekend.

Trump pauses Iran strikes for talks

Trump pauses Iran strikes for talks

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Hitting the pause button for 5 days:

President Trump announced the U.S. will pause its strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days. Trump said he has had “productive” conversations with Iranian leaders and hopes they can agree to a complete and total resolution in the Middle East.

🔎 Read Trump’s all-caps social media post announcing the pause

Meanwhile –– Iran pushed back on Trump’s announcement: A senior Iranian official disputed Trump’s claim that there are negotiations between the two countries, arguing Trump has “backed down” due to pressure from the markets and allies.

“Trump backed down from attacking critical infrastructure as Iran’s military threats became credible. Financial market pressure and the threat of bonds within the U.S. and the West have increased, and this has been another important factor in this retreat,” the senior official told Iran’s Fars News Agency in translated remarks.

Trump then clarified: The president said he has not been in contact with Iran’s supreme leader, arguing his top envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner have been speaking with their Iranian diplomatic counterparts.

“We’re dealing with a man who I believe is the most respected and the leader,” Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Fla., late this morning. “We have not heard from the son,” he added, referring to the new supreme leader of Iran, Mojtaba........

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