Trump Claims Iran Talks Underway as Strikes Intensify

Good evening. It's Tuesday, March 24th, 2026. I'm Alice Beth, and this is your latest NEWS UPDATE from GLOBAL News Daily. U.S. President Donald Trump says negotiations to end the war with Iran are happening right now, adding that Tehran is talking sense. His comments come just a day after Iranian officials denied any contact with the United States, dismissing claims of talks as fake news. The conflicting statements are adding to uncertainty over whether meaningful diplomacy is actually under way.

On the ground, fighting continues. Israel and Iran have carried out fresh rounds of strikes, while Bahrain has suffered one of its worst attacks of the conflict so far. An Iranian missile struck a military base there, underlining how widely the war has now spread across the region. Inside Iran, the human impact is becoming increasingly severe. Civilians speaking to BBC Persian say they just want to blink and have the conflict all done and over. The Iranian Red Crescent reports that around 82,000 sites have been damaged by strikes since the war began, a figure that highlights the scale of destruction across the country.

Despite talk of negotiations, there is no sign yet of a ceasefire. For our deep dive and analysis, unlock the exclusive subscriber episode in Apple Podcast now. Please follow this show on Spotify, it really helps. Thanks for listening, Global News Daily.