CAIRO, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict entered its 24th day on Monday, with attention focused on a sharp divergence between Washington and Tehran over whether the two sides are engaged in talks.
The United States has signaled active negotiations, while Iran has rejected such claims and maintained a firm stance. The issue has roiled global stock markets and energy prices.
Meanwhile, several Gulf countries continued to report fresh attacks on their territories.
The following is an overview of the latest developments in the escalating crisis affecting much of the region and beyond.
The United States
-- U.S. President Donald Trump said he had ordered the military to delay strikes on Iranian power plants and energy facilities for five days after what he called "productive" talks with Iran.
-- Trump said the United States is "very intent on making a deal with Iran," CNBC reported.
-- Following Trump's conciliatory tone, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged more than 900 points, nearly 2 percent in morning trading. The Nasdaq Composite rose 2.07 percent after falling into correction territory in the previous session. The S&P 500 gained more than 100 points, up 1.82 percent.
-- Reuters, citing Israeli officials, reported that the United States is holding negotiations with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and that the two sides could meet in Islamabad as early as this week.
-- Trump suggested the Strait of Hormuz could be "jointly controlled" by the United States and Iran.
Israel
-- The Israeli military said it had begun wide-scale strikes on Iranian infrastructure in Tehran and later said it was targeting Iranian government sites in "the heart of Tehran."
-- Israeli forces seized a strategic hill in southern Lebanon and destroyed a key bridge over the Litani River, according to Lebanese security sources and official media.
-- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that he had spoken with Trump and would "safeguard Israel's vital interests in any situation." Israeli media also reported he spoke with U.S. Vice President JD Vance about negotiations with Iran.
-- The Israeli military said an Israeli civilian was killed by its own artillery fire near the Israel-Lebanon border on Sunday, not by a Hezbollah rocket as initially reported.
-- Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes on Haret Hreik and Bir al-Abed in Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday after a two-day lull, local broadcaster al-Jadeed reported.
Iran
-- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei denied any negotiations with the United States, saying Tehran's stance on the Strait of Hormuz and its conditions to end the war had not changed. Ghalibaf also said on social media platform X that "no negotiations have been held" with Washington.
-- Several media outlets quoted Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, as saying talks with the United States are meaningless under current conditions.
-- Iran's Defense Council warned it could lay naval mines in the Gulf if the United States or Israel attacked its coasts or islands, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
-- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss developments in the Gulf.
Iraq
-- Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported that the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is urging Americans to leave Iraq immediately.
-- Media reports said explosions were heard near the U.S. consulate in Erbil.
-- Reuters, citing Iraqi security sources, reported rocket launches from Mosul toward a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria.
Kuwait
-- Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported explosions near U.S. bases in Kuwait.
Bahrain
-- Loud explosions were reported in Bahrain, according to media outlets.
Oman
-- Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi said efforts are underway to secure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions.
United Arab Emirates
-- Authorities said debris from an intercepted missile fell in Abu Dhabi's Al Shawamekh area, slightly injuring an Indian national.
-- Air defense systems intercepted seven ballistic missiles and 16 drones launched from Iran, authorities said.
Saudi Arabia
-- Explosions were reported in the Saudi cities of Al-Kharj and Al-Sharqiya, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said.
-- The Saudi Transport General Authority eased documentation rules for vessels in the country's territorial waters in the Gulf for 30 days.
Lebanon
-- Three people were killed and seven wounded in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, according to the National News Agency. An airstrike on an apartment in Hazmieh, southeast of Beirut, killed one person, the Health Ministry said.
-- Hezbollah said its fighters targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers along the border.
Britain
-- Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was no indication mainland Britain was being targeted by Iran, while stressing the need to protect British interests and avoid further escalation.
-- Brent crude rose above 113 U.S. dollars per barrel in early trading, extending gains to about 50 percent since the conflict began, amid fears of supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. Later, it fell by about 10 percent, dropping to around 96 dollars per barrel after Trump suggested a possible talk.
France
-- Air France said it had extended the suspension of flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh until March 31, and to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut until April 4, citing the "security context." ■
