CAIRO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict entered its 25th day on Tuesday, as Washington and Tehran offered conflicting accounts over whether peace talks are underway.
Regional tensions continued to rise, with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets and flashpoints drawing attention in Lebanon and Iraq. International markets, which had rallied the day before on optimism sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump's comments about negotiations, cooled amid Iran's denials and the ongoing escalation, undermining investor confidence.
The following is an overview of the latest developments in the escalating crisis affecting much of the region and beyond.
The United States
-- With airstrikes continuing in Iran and missile attacks targeting sites across the Middle East, some of the optimism that drove Wall Street higher the previous day faded on Tuesday. Oil prices rose, and U.S. stocks gave back some of their gains.
-- Trump said negotiations with Iran to end the Mideast conflict are ongoing "right now," adding that Tehran is eager to reach a deal.
-- Trump also said Iran has made a major energy-related concession regarding the Strait of Hormuz to the United States, describing it as a positive development, although he did not give details.
"They gave us a present and the present arrived today, and it was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money," he said.
-- Several media reports suggested that Washington has sent a 15-point plan to Iran on ending the Mideast war.
Israel
-- Israel's military said it struck Iran's "most central explosives production facility" in Isfahan as part of airstrikes targeting multiple sites.
-- The military said operations in Iran and Lebanon would continue "according to an unchanged plan," regardless of any diplomatic efforts to end the hostilities. Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised briefing that current military plans are unaffected by talks.
-- A rocket attack from Lebanon killed a woman in northern Israel, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said. The military said it had attempted to intercept the rocket.
Iran
-- President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as the new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), with approval from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Former SNSC Secretary Ali Larijani was killed in an Israeli attack on March 17.
-- The Navy Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, Alireza Tangsiri, said any vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz must fully coordinate with Iranian maritime authorities.
-- The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran reported a missile strike on the country's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, with no casualties or damage, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Lebanon
-- Lebanon requested the departure of Iran's ambassador after declaring him persona non grata, the foreign ministry said. The country also recalled its ambassador to Iran, citing Tehran's alleged violation of diplomatic norms.
-- Hezbollah condemned the decision, calling it legally unfounded and "reckless," and urged authorities to reverse it.
-- President Joseph Aoun called for increased international pressure on Israel to halt attacks and support a ceasefire.
-- At least 17 people were killed and several others wounded in Israeli airstrikes and ground operations across southern Lebanon, Mount Lebanon, and Beirut's southern suburbs, according to the health ministry.
Iraq
-- A U.S. airstrike killed 15 members of Iraq's paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces, including a senior commander in Anbar province. Meanwhile, six members of the Iraqi Kurdish military forces, known as the Peshmerga, were killed and 30 others injured in Iranian ballistic missile strikes on military positions in northern Iraq's Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
-- The Iraqi presidency strongly condemned the attacks, saying, "These attacks represent a flagrant violation of the country's sovereignty and a serious threat to its security and stability."
The Iraqi foreign ministry also summoned both the Iranian ambassador and the U.S. charge d'affaires to Baghdad to deliver formal protests regarding the two deadly strikes.
-- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group for Iraq's pro-Iranian militias, said it carried out 23 operations against "enemy bases" over the past 24 hours.
Qatar
-- QatarEnergy declared force majeure on gas contracts with several EU and Asian countries.
-- Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has undermined regional security in the Gulf, calling for a reassessment of collective security arrangements.
Kuwait
-- Kuwait's Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems detected 17 ballistic missiles and 13 drones in its airspace over the past 24 hours.
Bahrain
-- A civilian contractor with the UAE Armed Forces was killed in Bahrain in an Iranian attack, authorities said. The defense ministry said he died while responding alongside Bahraini forces.
Oman
-- Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan about regional developments. The leaders discussed bilateral relations and the need to end the conflict while ensuring Gulf security.
United Arab Emirates
-- UAE officials held talks with multiple countries and international organizations on regional developments, WAM reported.
-- The UAE said its air defense systems intercepted five ballistic missiles and 17 drones launched from Iran. It said that since Feb. 28, the country has intercepted 357 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,806 drones.
Pakistan
-- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan is ready to "facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks" to end the Iran conflict. Pakistan is among the countries pushing for negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Egypt
-- Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate phone calls with his Kuwaiti and Jordanian counterparts to discuss regional tensions. Abdelatty and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah stressed prioritizing diplomacy to contain the conflict, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.
France
-- President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media platform X that he spoke with Pezeshkian over phone, during which he called for an end to "unacceptable attacks" to regional countries, and urged preserving energy and civilian infrastructure and restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. He said he also called on Iran "to engage in negotiations in good faith."
-- Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Israel should "refrain" from sending forces into southern Lebanon, warning such a move would have "major humanitarian consequences." ■
