Iran war live: Tehran says Trump’s peace talk claims are ‘fake news’

Al Jazeera Live
By Stephen Quillen and Yashraj Sharma
Published On 24 Mar 2026

US President Donald Trump announced that discussions are ongoing with Iran to “determine whether a broader agreement can be reached”, saying that “this time, Iran means business; they want to settle. They want peace”. Tehran denied that talks with the US are taking place, with Iran’s parliamentary speaker saying such claims are “fake news” and being “used to manipulate financial and oil markets”.

(07:55 GMT)
Iranian media says energy infrastructure in the country attacked

US-Israeli strikes have targeted two gas facilities and a pipeline, hours after Trump stepped back from his threat to attack power infrastructure, Iranian media is reporting.

“As part of the ongoing attacks carried out by the Zionist and American enemy, the gas administration building and the gas pressure regulation station on Kaveh Street in Isfahan were targeted,” said the Fars news agency. It added that the facilities in central Iran were “partially damaged”.
It said an attack also targeted the gas pipeline of the Khorramshahr power plant, in the country’s southwest.

(07:53 GMT)

Bahrain says fire broke out at facility due to ‘criminal Iranian aggression’

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry says its civil defence crew “has succeeded in extinguishing a fire that broke out in a facility belonging to one of the companies due to the criminal Iranian aggression”.

(07:50 GMT)
Iran holds funeral for one of the sailors killed in US strike on IRIS Dena

A funeral procession has been held for one of the sailors killed in the US strike on the Iranian vessel IRIS Dena in early March, according to Tehran Times.

The unnamed sailor was buried in the village of Ziarat Seyed Soleiman in the province of Hormozgan, the report said.
Images posted by Tehran Times showed a crowd of people carrying the sailor’s coffin, which was draped in the Iranian flag.
Last week, Sri Lanka repatriated the remains of 84 Iranian sailors who died when the frigate was sunk by a US submarine torpedo attack off the Indian Ocean.
At least 32 other sailors were rescued following the attack, while at least 20 others remain missing.

(07:45 GMT)

Israeli air attacks hit bridge, homes in Lebanon: Reports

We are getting reports of numerous Israeli attacks throughout Lebanon, including several on homes and another hitting a bridge.

One air attack occurred in the Hermel area in northeastern Lebanon, according to our colleagues on the ground.
Other attacks occurred in the southern areas of Deir Intar, Habboush, Chehabiyeh, Hanine and Majdal Selem, with several homes targeted, reports Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Another attack hit Lebanon’s Dalafa Bridge, which links parts of the south and the Bekaa, after several attacks targeted it yesterday, said the agency.

(07:40 GMT)
Where do the reported US-Iran ‘negotiations’ leave Israel?

Israeli analysts told Al Jazeera of a sense of disappointment and confusion in the country after President Trump claimed that negotiations with Iran to wind down the war would continue.

After Trump’s comments, Netanyahu said Israel will continue to attack Iran and Lebanon.

Throughout the war, Netanyahu frequently boasted of having convinced the US to join what he has repeatedly framed as an existential threat posed to Israel by Iran. Four weeks into the war, Iran is still standing, deadly attacks are hitting Israel in the last few days – and talks of a negotiated end to the conflict is unsettling to many.
What does it mean for Israel’s regional standing? Read here in detail.

(07:35 GMT)
Death toll rises to 14 after US air strike on PMF base in Iraq

The death toll from the US air attack on the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Anbar has risen to 14.

Earlier, we reported that the attack on the PMF operations command headquarters in Anbar targeted the head of the group, Saad Dawai, who was among those killed.

(07:30 GMT)
Iran arrests 3 people for alleged ‘spying’

Iranian authorities have arrested three people in the city of Shahroud in Semnan province, accused of “spying on sensitive sites”, according to a provincial police commander.

The individuals are accused of trying to “obtain information and documentation” on military and law enforcement sites and “send it to the enemy”, Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted the police official as saying.
Authorities confiscated “communication equipment and some prohibited items” from the suspects, who had contacts in the US and Israel, the official added.

(07:25 GMT)
AWS Bahrain operations ‘disrupted’ by drone activity: Report

Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary of Amazon that offers cloud computing services, says its operations in Bahrain have been “disrupted” due to drone activity, Reuters news agency reports.

It was not clear whether the Bahrain facility of AWS sustained a direct drone hit or if there were strikes close by that affected its operations, Reuters added.
It is the second time drone activity has affected AWS operations in the country during the war, after drones struck three of its facilities in Bahrain and the UAE earlier this month.
“These strikes have caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage,” AWS said earlier this ‌month ‌on its status page.

(07:23 GMT)

Sirens sound in southern Israel

Sirens have sounded in southern Israel, including Dimona and nearby towns, after the army said it detected a new wave of Iranian missiles fired towards the country, according to Israeli media reports.

(07:20 GMT)
Are Trump and Netanyahu aligned on a deal with Iran?

In public, Trump and Netanyahu seem very aligned and in agreement, working towards each other’s mutual benefit. But behind closed doors, there is a fear in Israel that the war could end before all of its goals are achieved. Israel has been backtracking on some of its main goals, including regime change in Iran, and instead focusing more on the ballistic missile programme and the nuclear facilities.

Israeli media reports indicate that Tel Aviv was surprised by the speed at which President Trump announced the postponement of the strikes on Iran’s energy facilities.
That’s something that is deeply worrying for Israelis, but as Netanyahu has learned about Trump, he can solve his issues in private but never attack the US president in public. That’s why we’re seeing these statements saying that the US is protecting Israeli interests.