Where are Iran's plants that Trump has threatened to strike?

President Donald Trump has postponed by five days his threat to strike Iran's power plants, citing "productive conversations" with Tehran, a claim countered by the speaker of Iran's parliament.

Amid Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route that carries 20% of the world's oil supply, Trump had threatened March 21 to "obliterate" the country's power plants if it didn't "fully open" the thoroughfare within 48 hours.

Just hours ahead of that deadline, however, the president posted in all-caps on his Truth Social platform that the two countries have had "over the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East."

Where are Iran's power plants?

Iran's power infrastructure is large and dispersed throughout the country. Ninety-five percent of the country's electricity comes from gas- and oil-fire thermal plants.

Trump's threats March 21 were met immediately with counterthreats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which said it would target Israel's power plants and facilities supplying power to U.S. bases around the region.

Such threats from Iran − backed by retaliatory strikes the country has carried out since the U.S.-Israeli offensive began Feb. 28 − have been enough to raise fears of mass power disruption to drinking water infrastructure in the region and further upend oil markets.

Though markets welcomed word of negotiations and the five-day postponement on military strikes, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf posted on social media that no talks have been held with the United States. The Iranian Foreign Ministry also denied negotiations were taking place, according to Iranian state-run media.

SOURCES Reuters; Institute for the Study of War