5h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 2:09pmHere’s the latest
If you’re just joining our live coverage on the Middle East, here’s a rundown
President Donald Trump says he will postpone threatened strikes on Iran’s power infrastructure for five days after ‘productive’ talksIran’s Fars news agency, citing a source, said there are no direct or indirect communications with the United States.Iran promised a tit-for-tat retaliation if the US and Israel continue to target its power plantsEarlier in the day, Trump had promised to “obliterate” Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened on the weekend.Anthony Albanese and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong have promised the two countries will step up cooperation to safeguard the diesel and oil trade.Lebanon has accused Israel of planning a ground invasion in its territory. The IDF has targeted bridges over Lebanon’s Litani River, which it says are used by Hezbollah militants, but Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has accused Israel of “suspicious plans” to establish a buffer zone in the south. The death toll from the war has risen to more than 1,500 people in Iran, more than 1,000 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel, and 13 US military members.
4h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 3:04pm
Thank you
Thanks for following our live coverage of the war in the Middle East today.
We are wrapping up our blog for the night, but we will be back with more live coverage tomorrow morning.
For more detail on the war and its global impacts in the meantime, check out this piece by my colleague Nicole Asher.
5h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 2:57pm
Analysis: Trump is giving himself more time
How Donald Trump makes statements can be just as important as what he is saying.
Today he was upbeat and boisterous about the prospect of a deal with Iran when he fronted cameras.
“We’re doing a five-day period, we’ll see how that goes, that if it goes well, we’re going to end up with settling this, otherwise we just keep bombing our little hearts out,” he said.
The five-day delay was a reference to his threats to blow up Iran’s energy facilities.
He’s giving himself more time and options.
It also puts the focus on a possible diplomatic resolution while still making it clear he is willing to continue the war should things not go his way.
He was signalling to the world, and it appears he’s already been rewarded through the markets.
The Dow has jumped and oil prices have dipped since he came out citing “productive” talks where the US and Iran had “major points of agreement”.
The stock market is a barometer he often uses for success and loves to point to it when it’s doing well.
But Trump knows even if the markets do well today the economic pain ahead could be long and troublesome for everyday Americans and people around the world.
The big question is whether there will in fact be a deal that he’s willing to sign off on that satisfies his demands and ensures long-term peace to allow for the economic recovery that will need to follow.
5h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 2:40pm
Trump says US and Iran held ‘strong talks’ on ending hostilities
Donald Trump said the United States has held productive talks with Iranian officials aimed at achieving a “complete and total resolution of hostilities” in the Middle East.
Speaking to reporters on a Florida tarmac before departing for Memphis, the US president offered an optimistic outlook on the prospects for ending the conflict.
Donald Trump speaks to reporters before departing Palm Beach aboard Air Force One. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)
He said the US engaged in “strong talks” late Sunday evening with unnamed Iranian officials and suggested that Iran is interested in reaching an agreement.
“We will see where they lead. We have major points of agreement. I would say almost all points of agreement,” he told reporters.
Trump did not identify the Iranian official involved, describing them only as “a top person,” adding that it was not Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei
His remarks come despite statements from Tehran denying that any dialogue has taken place between the two countries.
Trump added that US and Iranian officials are expected to speak again “today, by phone probably.”
The comments follow an earlier online post by the president indicating his intention to postpone planned strikes on power plants for five days.
5h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 2:26pm
📷: Middle East war enters fourth week
As the war in the Middle East enters its fourth week, photographers on the ground from Associated Press have captured the destruction, grief and displacement.
Israeli security forces and rescue teams work at the site struck by an Iranian missile in Arad, southern Israel, on Sunday. (Ohad Zwigenberg) 
An Israeli soldier fights on the border with Lebanon. (Ariel Schalit)
A funeral procession in Tehran, Iran, for military official Ali Mohammad Naini who was killed in an airstrike. (Vahid Salemi)
A displaced woman flees airstrikes in southern Lebanon. (Hussein Malla)
5h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 2:10pm
USS Gerald R. Ford returns to naval base
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier that has been part of Middle East war operations, has returned to a naval base in Crete, off Greece.
The vessel, which took on food, fuel and ammunition at Souda Bay in February, reported a laundry fire on March 12 which injured two crew members.
It also caused major damage to some 100 beds, according to the US military, with the carrier also reportedly suffering significant problems with its toilet system while at sea.
USS Gerald R. Ford returns to Crete (Reuters: Makis Kartsonakis)
The carrier had been at sea for nearly nine months due to its deployment for US operations in the Caribbean and then the Middle East.
Senator Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has sharply criticised the extended deployment of the ship.
“The Ford and its crew have been pushed to the brink after nearly a year at sea, and they have been paying the price for President Donald Trump’s reckless military decisions,” he said.
The withdrawal of the Ford leaves a gap for US forces in the region.
“Taking the Ford off the board for any significant length of time means less US support to war efforts,” said Daniel Schneiderman, director of global policy programs at Penn Washington.
“The Ford’s role in the defence of Israel is significant,” he said, while noting that if some of the ships accompanying it — which have key air defence capabilities — remain near Israel, then “the immediate term operational impact of its departure is somewhat mitigated.”
Reporting with AFP
6h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 1:59pm
Israel worried about US signalling weakness to Iran
While Donald Trump’s extension of his ultimatum to Iran is welcomed by many, it may not be by Israel.
An unnamed Israeli official told Israel’s Channel 12, it is hoped the US backing away from the 48-hour threat will not be seen as weakness.
“Trump’s statement last week — that there would be no further strikes on gas facilities — encouraged the Iranians, as they perceived it as a sign of weakness,” the source said.
“It is to be hoped that they will not view the cancellation of the current ultimatum as weakness as well, because if they do, that would be bad news.”
6h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 1:49pm
UK sees no evidence of Iran targeting Britain
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that there had been no assessment that mainland Britain was being targeted by Iran.
“We carry out assessments all the time in order to keep us safe, and there’s no assessment that we’re being targeted in that way,” Starmer said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was asked if Britian could be targeted by Iran. (Reuters)
He was asked if Britain could be targeted by Iran after reports over the weekend said that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles at a US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean.
Starmer also said that any attempt to reopen the Strait of Hormuz needed careful consideration and a viable plan, and that his number one priority was to protect British interests.
Reporting with Reuters
6h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 1:33pm
Germany’s Merz: shared concerns over Iranian power plant attacks with Trump
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that he had spoken to President Donald Trump and expressed his concerns about threatened attacks on Iran’s power plants.
“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.
Reporting with Reuters
6h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 1:15pm
War will push up Europe flight prices: easyJet
British budget airline easyJet has warned consumers could feel the impacts of the war in the Middle East from the end of the summer in the form of higher prices for flights across Europe.
This would be when existing fuel hedges come to an end.
“The reality is that prices will start feeding through to the consumer towards the back end of the summer, but equally it depends what happens to fuel prices,” chief executive Kenton Jarvis said.
The airline said in January it had hedged 84 per cent of its fuel needs for the first half of 2026, 62 per cent for the second and 43 per cent for the first half of 2027.
7h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 12:55pm
Analysis: Trump backs down again, but it’s not all good news
US President Donald Trump has done the “TACO” (Trump always chickens out) again; backing down on a threat to bomb Iran’s power plants if it didn’t open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
His ultimatum was nearing and there were no signs of movement.
He said the new five-day extension is because talks with Tehran have been constructive and productive in the last few days.
He even went as far to say that a resolution to the war was close.
But his statement on Truth Social was quickly smacked down by an Iranian source.
State TV there is reporting an “informed source” as saying there are in fact no negotiations underway and none are ongoing.
“With this kind of psychological warfare, neither will the Strait of Hormuz return to pre-war conditions nor will calm return to energy markets. Trump’s five-day ultimatum signals the continuation of this regime’s plans for crimes against the people, and we will continue to respond and defend the country extensively,” the source told Tasmin.
It is conceivable to imagine that President Trump didn’t fully comprehend the impact his threat would have. He tends to shoot from the hip.
With global energy markets reeling, there’s a real prospect that the president’s advisors informed him that carrying through on the threat could send markets spiralling further.
And this is something Donald Trump doesn’t want.
If the market reaction is anything to go by, this gives us a few clues: US stock futures surged, oil prices fell and markets jumped.
This is what happens when the most powerful leader in the world speaks.
But his yo-yo in messaging does nothing to quell the worries of Iranians who are living in fear of what he might do next.
7h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 12:37pm
Trump backed down from energy attack amid market pressure, state media says
More is coming through from Iran’s state media following Donald Trump’s announcement.
Citing an official, Iran’s Tasnim says that no negotiations with the US are under way.
The agency said the Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war conditions, adding that energy markets will remain unsettled.
Earlier, Trump said he would postpone threatened strikes on Iran’s power infrastructure for five days following ‘productive’ talks.
Tasnim said Trump backed down from attacking critical Iranian infrastructure amid financial market pressure, warning Tehran would continue to defend itself until it achieves deterrence.
7h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 12:04pmIran disputes Trump statement, state media reports
Iran’s Fars news agency, citing a source, said there are no direct or indirect communications with the United States.
The report follows after President Donald Trump posted about “productive” talks with Tehran and said that he was postponing his threat to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure.
Fars also said Trump backed down on targeting Iranian power plants after Iran warned it would target power plants across West Asia in response.
8h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 11:51amUltimatum extended after ‘productive conversations’ with Iran, Trump says
President Donald Trump said talks with Iran have been “very good and productive” and cited them as a reason for delaying his threatened strikes on Iran’s energy grid for five days.
Here’s a look at his post on Truth Social announcing the delay:
Trump’s Truth Social post. (Truth Social)8h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 11:27amBreaking: Trump postpones military strikes on Iranian power plants
President Donald Trump says he will postpone threatened strikes on Iran’s power infrastructure for five days after ‘productive’ talks.
Trump’s move followed a threat by Iran to attack Israel’s power plants and those supplying US bases across the Gulf region if the US targets Iran’s power network.
Conversations with Iran will continue throughout the week, Trump said in a social media post.
“I have instructed the department of war to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions,” he wrote.
Reporting with Reuters
9h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 11:00am
IDF says own artillery fire killed Israeli civilian
The Israeli military has confirmed its own artillery fire killed an Israeli civilian on Sunday near the northern border with Lebanon.
After opening an investigation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said “the initial findings suggest that the Israeli civilian was killed by IDF artillery fire conducted to support IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon”.
It added that “several severe issues and operational errors took place during the incident, including both the planning and execution of the fire”.
The Times of Israel has identified the civilian as 60-year-old farmer Ofer Moskovitz, and reported that Hezbollah had initially claimed responsibility for his killing.
“The shelling was carried out at an incorrect angle and not in accordance with required procedures. As a result, five shells struck the Misgav Am ridge instead of enemy targets,” the military told the Times of Israel.
Israel has launched a major ground assault and air campaign into Lebanon to root out Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed militia, which fired into Israel in support of Tehran two days after the start of the Israeli-US air attacks on Iran.
Mr Mostovitz had spoken to Reuters just last week, saying he was worried about fighting at the border.
“Every five minutes you can hear the bombs,” he said.
Reporting with AFP/Reuters
9h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 10:31am
Here’s the latest
If you’re just joining our live coverage on the Middle East, here’s a run
Iran has promised a tit-for-tat retaliation if the US and Israel continue to target its power plants. Iran says a coastal attack will lead to full Gulf routes being cut with the laying of sea minesDonald Trump promised to “obliterate” Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened on the weekend.Anthony Albanese and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong have promised the two countries will step up cooperation to safeguard the diesel and oil trade.Lebanon has accused Israel of planning a ground invasion in its territory. The IDF has targeted bridges over Lebanon’s Litani River, which it says are used by Hezbollah militants, but Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has accused Israel of “suspicious plans” to establish a buffer zone in the south. The death toll from the war has risen to more than 1,500 people in Iran, more than 1,000 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel, and 13 US military members.
10h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 9:46am
Briton detained in Iran urges PM to challenge spying charges
A British man detained in Tehran has urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to “step out of the shadows” and publicly challenge the spying charges against him and his wife.
Craig Foreman and his wife Lindsay were arrested in January last year while travelling through Iran on motorcycles as part of a world trip.
A month later, they were sentenced to 10 years in prison after Iran accused them of spying for Britain and Israel.
The couple have repeatedly denied the charges.
British couple Craig and Lindsay Foreman given 10-year sentence by Iran for espionage. (Reuters)
In a voice message recorded from Evin prison in Tehran and shared with Reuters, Craig Foreman said he and his wife were living in “a war zone”.
He accused the British government of failing to defend their innocence.
“You know we are innocent. Go public with the information you have to clearly step up, step out of the shadows and help us. Our lives are constantly at risk.”
Tehran has been hit repeatedly by US and Israeli airstrikes, and a blast near the city’s Evin prison earlier in March blew out window panels and sent prisoners diving under beds for cover.
Craig Foreman said the couple had received “zero information” from the British government about what to do if conditions deteriorated further.
Britain’s foreign ministry has previously described the sentences as “totally unjustifiable” and said the welfare of British nationals detained in Iran was a priority for the government.
Reporting with Reuters
10h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 9:15am
Stock markets stumble, oil prices rise
European stock markets have extended heavy losses at the start of trading on Monday after Donald Trump and Iranian leaders traded threats over the key Strait of Hormuz
London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index shed 1.4 per cent, Paris lost 1.7 per cent and Frankfurt tumbled 2 per cent.
Earlier the stock markets in Seoul and Tokyo — which had been the standout performers before the war started — fell 6.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent, respectively.
Hong Kong and Shanghai shed more than 3 per cent, while Singapore, Taipei, Mumbai, Bangkok and Manila all lost between 2 and 3 per cent.
Oil prices jumped more than 2 per cent with Brent above $US114.
Reporting with AFP
11h agoMon 23 Mar 2026 at 8:43am
Iran war impacting millions in Africa and Asia, UN official says
A senior United Nations official said the war in the Middle East has “far reaching” impact on millions of people particularly in developing countries in Asia and Africa.
Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the UN Office for Project Services, detailed the ripple effects of the war, now in its fourth week, including “exponential price hikes in oil, fuel and gas”.
“Our world is the most violent it has been since the Second World War,” he said.
He warned that the number of hungry people is likely to increase by tens of millions over the course of the year, as the widening war threatens remittance flows.
The war also displaced 3.2 million people in Iran and 1 million in Lebanon, he said.
He called for diplomacy to end the conflict, saying: “There is no military solution.”
Reporting with AP