India, March 23 -- When US President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that US and Iran have been holding "direct" and "productive" talks over the past two days, he also announced that he was postponing by five days his threat to hit energy sites. Iran mocked him in turn, saying he's "backed down"; and denied any such talks.

Yet, Trump continued to say Iran "wants to make a deal badly". he even gave a timeline: "within five days or less".

Trump's latest 'Truth' - as posts on his platform Truth Social are called - came after he had made a threat asking Iran to reopen the global oil trade route Strait of Hormuz, or face attacks on its power infrastructure. He pointedly said he was pausing his threat because of the "tenor and tone" of those t...