Overview
- President Trump said he delayed planned attacks on Iran’s power grid after the U.S. opened communication with a “top person” he described as effectively in charge.
- Israeli and U.S. outlets identified the counterpart as parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, but Iran’s Foreign Ministry and Ghalibaf publicly denied any negotiations.
- Trump said newly named supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was not involved and has not been heard from, with reports noting he has not appeared in public.
- The threatened strikes were tied to a 48-hour demand that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and Iranian officials warned of large-scale retaliation against regional infrastructure.
- Trump’s envoys, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have participated in the outreach, though the scope and status of any channel remain disputed.