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.