President Trump postpones attacks on Iranian power plants and says a deal could come within days as NPR confirms backchannel negotiations through Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan. With midterms approaching and gas prices rising, Trump seeks an off-ramp while Iran denies direct talks. Meanwhile, ICE agents deployed to a dozen airports fail to ease security lines; Atlanta passengers wait up to five hours as TSA officers work unpaid during a partial government shutdown. Trump is using maximalist pressure demands followed by negotiation attempts—his typical M.O.—but experts note his previous claims of imminent deals with Russia over Ukraine never materialized. Rising oil and gas prices globally create incentive for de-escalation, but lack of trust between Tehran and Washington and the recent killing of Iran's top negotiator complicate talks significantly.