Trump says U.S. found “major points of agreement” with Iran and has paused strikes on Iranian power plants, but Tehran denies any direct talks or negotiations, contradicting U.S. claims - latest on Middle East conflict.
NATO Secretary says over 20 countries are cooperating to secure the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Russia opposes any blockade of the Strait of Hormuz but stresses the issue should be seen in a wider global context.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Washington has “plenty of money” to fund the war in Iran without raising taxes.
Trump has ordered a five‑day pause in planned strikes on Iranian power plants after “productive conversations” with Iran.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre‑war conditions and energy markets will remain volatile; no talks with the U.S. are underway.
Russia calls U.S.-Israeli strikes near Bushehr nuclear plant “extremely dangerous.”
Air France has extended flights to Dubai, Riyadh, Tel Aviv, and Beirut, while Lufthansa halts services to Dubai and Tel Aviv until May, with other destinations suspended until October.
The U.S. Embassy in Muscat urges Americans in Oman to shelter in place due to “ongoing activity.”
Here’s how the situation in the Middle East unfolded throughout the day:
Bahrain has proposed a UN Security Council resolution allowing countries to use “all necessary means” to safeguard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, citing Iranian threats.
The U.S. and other Gulf states back the draft, but adoption is unlikely due to potential Russian and Chinese vetoes.
U.S. Interior Secretary Burgum says there is ongoing engagement with Iran aimed at finding a potential solution, according to a CNBC interview.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump, who sees a possibility of reaching a deal with Iran.
The United States has advised its citizens in Oman to shelter in place “due to ongoing activity,” according to a security alert issued Monday by the U.S. Embassy in Muscat.
No further details were provided.
At least seven rockets were fired from the Iraqi town of Rabi’a, near Mosul, targeting a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria on Monday, according to Iraqi security sources.
Authorities discovered a rocket launch platform in Rabi’a and seized a burnt vehicle used to fire the rockets.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said there is no need to mine the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that Iranian forces already maintain “full control” over the strategic waterway
Lufthansa has extended its suspension of flights to key destinations, with services to Dubai and Tel Aviv halted until 31 May, according to Bloomberg News. Flights to other affected cities will remain suspended until 24 October.
The decision reflects ongoing operational and security concerns, as the airline takes a cautious approach to resuming routes. Travelers are advised to check with Lufthansa for updates, rebooking options, and travel guidance.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have discussed components of a potential agreement to end the war with Iran, according to Axios.
France’s Energy Ministry says it is evaluating whether to increase the country’s oil refining capacity, as the conflict involving Iran continues to disrupt global energy markets and push prices higher.
The ministry said the review will focus primarily on fuel and diesel production, aiming to cushion the impact on consumers and industry as supply pressures intensify.
UK summons Iranian ambassador after Iranian national and British-Iranian dual citizen charged with assisting Iran’s intelligence service, officials say.
Trump says recent talks with Iran have been “very, very good” and that Tehran wants to settle, as U.S. pauses strikes amid ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has rejected claims of negotiations with the United States, calling them “fake news” aimed at manipulating financial and oil markets, and reiterated that no talks have taken place.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has carried out fresh attacks on targets in Israel and on U.S. military sites in the region, according to Iranian state media reports.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the United States has requested a meeting with Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, scheduled for Saturday, but Tehran has not yet responded to the request.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry says Tehran has had no direct talks with the United States, contradicting recent American claims of dialogue, and stresses that no negotiations are taking place, according to state media IRNA.
The ministry also says Iran’s position on security in the Strait of Hormuz and its conditions for ending hostilities remain unchanged amid ongoing regional tensions and diplomatic pressure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine’s military intelligence has “irrefutable evidence” that Russia is supplying Iran with intelligence, including data used in Iranian drone operations.
Israeli officials say the U.S. and Iran may hold talks in Islamabad as soon as this week, potentially mediated by regional powers. The goal is to reduce escalating tensions, though Iran denies any direct negotiations.
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are reportedly negotiating with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, according to an Axios reporter on X.
Air France has extended the suspension of flights to Dubai and Riyadh until 31 March, and to Tel Aviv and Beirut until 4 April, citing security concerns and closed airspace amid ongoing regional conflict.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain must plan for the Iran war to continue for ''some time'', though he stressed there are no meaningful concerns about energy supply.
"All of our focus and energy has to be in the swift de-escalation, but we've got to plan on the basis that it could go on for some time, and that's the way in which we'll plan this afternoon," Starmer told a parliamentary committee, referring to an emergency meeting with his ministers taking place later on Monday.
Russia says it is seeing contradictory statements about ongoing talks with Iran and is continuing to monitor the situation closely.
The Kremlin expressed hope that tensions surrounding Iran will soon return to a peaceful course, according to TASS
The European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallás said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement there would be no attack on Iranian energy infrastructure for now is a ''very welcomed development.''
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are moving forward with planned multibillion-dollar energy projects, despite regional tensions and market uncertainty, Bloomberg reports.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the country should extend its border to the Litani River in southern Lebanon amid ongoing airstrikes and military operations targeting Hezbollah.
Smotrich called for the campaign to end with “a different reality” and also suggested annexing parts of the Gaza Strip.
President Donald Trump said he wants to ensure plenty of oil is available, commenting on the U.S. Treasury’s recent move to ease sanctions on Iranian oil stranded at sea amid ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump said hitting Iranian power plants in the ongoing Iran conflict would be different from Russia’s conduct in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters the U.S. has held strong talks with Iran and that the two sides have found “major points of agreement” in their discussions, signaling potential diplomatic progress even as broader negotiations continue.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday and outlined Berlin’s concern over the situation in Iran and the wider Middle East conflict.
"I am grateful that he said today that he is postponing them for another five days and is now also opening the possibility for immediate and direct contact with the Iranian leadership," said Merz at a press conference in Berlin on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox Business Iran “wants to make a deal badly” and said a deal could happen within five days or sooner following recent talks between U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and their Iranian counterparts.
Two Indian LPG tankers, Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, successfully sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, while most other shipping traffic remains stalled.
Hundreds of vessels and thousands of seafarers are still stranded in the Gulf due to the ongoing U.S.-Israel war with Iran, according to ship tracking data.
Britain welcomed “productive” talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran, calling for de-escalation in the Middle East and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said any progress toward a swift resolution of the conflict is in the global interest.
"We've always said that swift resolution to the war is in global interests and the Strait of Hormuz specifically needs to be reopened," the spokesperson told reporters.
Pope Leo condemned aerial bombardments as “indiscriminate” and called for them to be banned, saying no one should live under the threat of attacks from the sky.
Speaking to ITA Airways staff, he criticised airpower in warfare as a regression, citing lessons from the 20th century, and reiterated calls for a ceasefire in the Iran war, which he has called a “scandal to the whole human family.”
EasyJet says passengers are likely to see higher ticket prices later this summer as fuel hedges expire and the Iran war impacts costs.
CEO Kenton Jarvis said prices will start feeding through to consumers “towards the back end of the summer,” depending on fuel markets.
The airline had previously hedged a majority of its fuel needs into 2026.
The Israeli military says it is conducting strikes “in the heart of Tehran,” marking a further escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war conditions and energy markets will stay volatile, according to Tasnim.
An official added there are no talks with the U.S., and Tehran will continue its response until it achieves deterrence.
Russia has warned that the Iran conflict could spread into the Caspian region after a call between Sergei Lavrov and Iran’s Abbas Araghchi.
Moscow said both sides share concern over the escalation, blaming actions by Washington and Tel Aviv.
"Mutual concern was expressed about the dangerous spread of the conflict provoked by Washington and Tel Aviv to the Caspian Sea area," Russia's foreign ministry said.
Trump has announced a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure and power plants after "very good and productive conversations" with Iran:
Read more : Israeli fire killed first Israeli civilian at border with Lebanon
A European Commission spokesperson has said European Union's gas coordination group will meet on Thursday to assess the impact of the Iran war. The outcome of any decision may be impacted by what happens before Trump's imposed deadline to open up the Strait of Hormuz.
Amid ongoing attacks by Israel, many are displaced. 83 year old Zoher Qazaz is sheltering in a makeshift tent next to his car.
Iran has rejected allegations it targeted a military airbase in Diego Garcia two days ago. They called the claim an 'Israeli false flag'.
In a press conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that U.S.-Israeli strikes near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran are extremely dangerous and Russia has shared its concerns with the United States.
"We believe that strikes on nuclear facilities are potentially extremely dangerous. (...) Therefore, the Russian side, taking an extremely responsible stance on this issue, has repeatedly voiced its concerns," Peskov said.
He added that such strikes could have irreparable consequences.
In an interview with the media, British PM Sir Keir Starmer says there is "no assessment" that the UK is being targeted by Iranian missiles and that the government carry out assessments regularly. Starmer repeated calls for de-escalation and said reopening the Strait of Hormuz needs needs careful coordination and a viable plan.
Scott Bessent has said in an interview with NBC News on Sunday that Washington has “plenty of money” to fund its ongoing war against Iran.
He said this while stressing that President Donald Trump does not have any plan to raise taxes to cover the $200 billion request by the Pentagon to fund the ongoing war in Iran.
“Why would we (raise taxes)? We have plenty. We have a trillion dollars in this year's budget for the military,” Bessent said.
Although he didn't shed light on where the funds will be coming from, he said. “Actually, now we have plenty of money to fund this war. What we are doing is – this is supplemental.”
In response to the strikes on Iran's infrastructure, he defended the strikes, saying, “Sometimes you have to escalate to de-escalate."
US-Israeli strikes against Iran began on 28 February. The strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and at least 1,300 people have also been reported to have been killed in the subsequent strikes. Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and other countries in the Gulf, which they say host US military assets.
Qatar Airways has moved its 20 largest aircraft to a long-term storage facility in Teruel, Spain. This is because of regional tensions, following U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran and reciprocal attacks from Iran targeting some countries in the Gulf region.
In a statement to the Financial Times, Qatar Airways said, "Due to the current situation in the region and the resulting disruptions to flight operations, Qatar Airways has deployed some of its aircraft to selected airports outside of Qatar. This is a temporary measure, and the aircraft will be gradually brought back into service as flight operations return to normal levels."
Most of the aircraft transported to Spain were the Airbus A380, A350 and Boeing 787 types.
A portrait of Ali Larijani hangs above the grave of Iran's former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Thousands turned out for his funeral in Iran's capital Tehran.
Grave of Ali Larijani in the holy city of Qom pic.twitter.com/KOxewjotL9 — Mehr News Agency (@MehrnewsCom) March 23, 2026
Russian news agency Interfax says Russia opposes any blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. They say, however, such issues must be viewed in the context of the broader global situation.
In an uncharacteristically short post on his social media platform, Trump said:
Goldman Sachs bank has raised its 2026 average price forecast for Brent crude oil to $85 per barrel up from $77. They say disruptions in crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and stockpiling are the reasons.
An Indian national suffered minor injuries from falling debris after the UAE's air defence systems successfully intercepted a ballistic missile targeting the country's capital.
The incident occurred in Abu Dhabi's Al Shawamekh area.
State media report an IRGC statement saying that Iran will retaliate to an attack on its electricity sector by targeting Israel's power plants as well as power plants supplying U.S. bases with electricity in regional countries.
"The lying... U.S. President has claimed that the Revolutionary Guards intends to attack the water desalination plants and cause hardship to the people of the countries in the region," the statement continued.
Israel says they are carrying out a 'wide-scale wave of strikes' across Iran and the capital, Tehran. They have just released footage of this on the social media platform, X:
‼️ رژیم تروریستی ایران و ارکان آن تحت حمله هستند pic.twitter.com/Zae0ifyE3V — ارتش دفاعی اسرائیل | IDF Farsi (@IDFFarsi) March 23, 2026
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is to chair an emergency COBRA meeting today following a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump last night. The two leaders discussed the urgent need to open up the Strait of Hormuz.
The Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and the Governor of the Bank of England are expected to attend.
Mostly NATO countries along with others such as Japan, Bahrain, New Zealand are working together to open up the Strait, which is vital for oil and gas distrubtion across the world.
Mark Rutte says it was "crucial" and "necessary" for the U.S. President Trump to carry out attacks on Iran.
In a joint statement, Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese
and Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong said they "are committed to working together to strengthen energy supply chain resilience, including by deepening regional cooperation, accelerating renewable energy transition, addressing unjustified import and export restrictions, and maintaining open trade flows."
New Zealand will temporarily permit fuel meeting Australian standards to be imported for up to 12 months, but will not do the same back.
State media reports Iran's capital was hit by missles early Monday morning as the Israel Defence Force (IDF) says they have launched a 'wide-scale wave of strikes'.
Executive Director of the agency, Fatih Birol, said the situation is "very severe", the global economy is facing a major threat and will be consulting with governments in Asia and Europe on the release of more stockpiled oil "if necessary".
He also pushed for energy reduction measures such as working from home and is speaking to the Australian PM Anthony Albenese later today. The single most important solution to this problem, he said, is "opening the Hormuz Strait".
The Nikkei in Japan started early trading being down at 4.8%, South Korea's Kospi was more than 5.5% lower and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell more than 2%.
Crude oil remains more than $110 a barrel.
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Hungarians vote in elections on Sunday that could see the end of hard right nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s more than 15 year rule. Opinion polls show Orbán’s Fidesz party trailing 45-year-old Péter Magyar’s centre-right opposition Tisza party.
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