Tehran reportedly said the fighting will end only after it achieves its “strategic goals” Published 24 Mar, 2026 19:15 | Updated 25 Mar, 2026 18:30 FILE PHOTO. Smoke rises above Tehran, Iran after US-Israeli airstrike on March 13, 2026. © Getty Images / Fatemeh Bahrami; Anadolu Iran has rejected a US ceasefire proposal and turned down negotiations with Washington, framing them as “illogical” at this point in the conflict, the Fars News Agency has reported citing an informed source in Tehran. Iranian officials reportedly intend to end the hostilities only after Iran achieves its “strategic goals” and insist on a permanent solution to the conflict instead of a temporary ceasefire, according to the source. Western media outlets had previously reported that the US has been trying to establish a one-month ceasefire mechanism with Iran and that US President Donald Trump has been seeking an off-ramp from the war and has sent Tehran a 15-point plan to end the conflict Fars News has reported that there have indeed been increased efforts by the US to launch backchannel talks with Iran, but noted that Tehran has refused to engage in them. Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has claimed that talks between Iran and the US could take place as early as this weekend in Islamabad, Pakistan. The discussions are expected to focus on missiles, Iran-aligned militias, and security guarantees for Tehran. Read more Here are the latest developments:
Tehran has said “non-hostile” ships are free to sail through the Strait of Hormuz as long as they are not linked to aggression against Iran.
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
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25 March 2026
19:18 GMT
RT war correspondent Steve Sweeney and cameraman Ali Rida Sbeity, who were injured by an Israeli strike just meters from where they were reporting in southern Lebanon, have shared a video message saying they are “back in the field, but this time we’ve got our helmets on” and “we will never go silent.”
- 19:12 GMT
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has appeared to question Washington’s objectives in the Iran conflict, writing on X that “the goal of the war seems to have shifted to opening the Strait of Hormuz, which was open before the war.”
The goal of the war seems to have shifted to opening the strait of Hormuz, which was open before the war. 👏👏👏🫡
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) March 25, 2026
- 19:01 GMT
US President Donald Trump has confirmed that his rescheduled meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will take place in Beijing on May 14-15, saying it was “originally postponed due to our military operation in Iran.” In a post on Truth Social, he added that he and First Lady Melania will later host Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan for a reciprocal visit to Washington, calling the talks a “monumental event.”
- 18:44 GMT
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has blasted ex‑National Counterterrorism Center chief Joe Kent, saying he “unfortunately resigned in disgrace.” Leavitt accused Kent of claiming that Trump is “being controlled by foreign countries and foreign manipulation,” calling the allegation “a ridiculous and laughable assertion.” Kent, once a vocal supporter of Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda, resigned last week in protest over the US‑Israeli war on Iran, blaming the consequences of the conflict on Israel.
Joe Kent ‘UNFORTUNATELY RESIGNED IN DISGRACE’ — Leavitt‘And accused the president of basically BEING CONTROLLED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND FOREIGN MANIPULATION’‘Which is a RIDICULOUS AND LAUGHABLE assertion’ https://t.co/CL1h3Gbh2Ypic.twitter.com/LOi6P4Rb8U
— RT (@RT_com) March 25, 2026
- 18:30 GMT
US Central Command has denied reports of an US F/A‑18 fighter having been shot down, saying on X that no American jets had been downed. Earlier, Press TV cited the IRGC as saying that the aircraft had been hit by Iran´s new air-defense system and crashed into the Indian Ocean.
🚫FALSE: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a U.S. F/A-18 fighter was struck over Chabahar using new advanced air defense systems.✅TRUE: No U.S. fighter aircraft have been shot down by Iran. pic.twitter.com/I25QFjYo0l
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 25, 2026
- 18:21 GMT
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said intelligence indicates that “the enemies of Iran,” with the backing of a regional state, are preparing an operation to “occupy one of Iran’s islands.” He warned in a post on X that all their movements are “under the watch” of Iran’s armed forces and cautioned that if they “take a single step,” all vital infrastructure of that regional country will be targeted “without limitation.”
- 18:03 GMT
The IRGC has claimed that a US F/A-18 fighter “crashed into the Indian Ocean” after being hit, calling it the fourth successful shootdown by Iran’s “completely indigenous” new air defense systems, according to Press TV. The state outlet has published footage of what it said was the strike on the aircraft.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announces that it has successfully targeted an American F-18 fighter jet.Follow Press TV on Telegram: https://t.co/LWoNSpkc2Jpic.twitter.com/E9nRJgnla3
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) March 25, 2026
Last week, the IRGC claimed it had successfully targeted a US F-35 fighter jet with anti-aircraft fire and circulated video purportedly showing the plane sustaining a hit.
- 17:37 GMT
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned of the “critical dangers” posed by any strikes on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, saying that Moscow is in contact with all parties to urge them “not to take such potentially dangerous steps.”
“There are no guarantees on this matter,” Peskov told reporters, adding that Russia is trying to convey its view of the risks behind such attacks.
Last week, a projectile landed a few hundred meters away from the facility.
READ MORE: Russia condemns strike on Iranian nuclear power plant
- 17:30 GMT
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said on X that “all decision‑making bodies” are “united and speak with one voice” on the war and how it should be managed.
- 17:17 GMT
US forces are conducting strikes to “degrade the Iranian regime’s military infrastructure and capabilities that have threatened American troops and regional partners for decades,” US Central Command has said in a statement on X, posting footage of what it said are the latest attacks.
U.S. forces are striking targets to degrade the Iranian regime's military infrastructure and capabilities that have threatened American troops and regional partners for decades. pic.twitter.com/wPIR1c6kA0
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 25, 2026
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24 March 2026
19:16 GMT
Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 36%, its lowest level since he returned to office for a second presidential term, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The poll showed a drop from 40% in the previous week, amid rising fuel prices and growing disapproval of the war with Iran.
Support for American strikes on Iran also declined, with 35% approving and 61% disapproving, the poll found.
Public sentiment regarding the cost of living has deteriorated, with only 25% approving of Trump’s handling of the issue. This disapproval comes as petrol and gasoline prices have increased following the US strikes on Iran, which have caused disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
- 19:16 GMT
The Pentagon is expected to send thousands of troops from the elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the matter have told Reuters.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not specify the exact location where the troops would be deployed or when they were expected to arrive in the region.
- 19:17 GMT
US President Donald Trump has claimed Iran “agreed they will never have a nuclear weapons”.
“[Tehran] talking to us and they’re talking sense… It all starts with they cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, adding: “I don’t want to say in advance, but they’ve agreed they will never have a nuclear weapon. They’ve agreed to that.”
- 19:28 GMT
Trump has claimed Iran had given the US a gift “worth a tremendous amount of money” related to oil and gas. However, he didn’t specify what the gift was but said it was related to the Strait of Hormuz.
- 19:54 GMT
Trump has said that Gulf allies have met his expectations amid the ongoing war with Iran, once again criticizing NATO countries as falling short.
“UAE has been hit so hard,” he added. At least eight people there were killed and 161 injured since the US and Israel started their war on Iran.
Trump also praised several Gulf partners individually, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait.
Trump has previously called NATO allies “cowards” for not assisting the US in securing the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route for oil.
- 21:08 GMT
Pope Leo XIV has lamented that “hatred is increasing, and the violence is getting worse and worse.”
“I want to renew the appeal for a ceasefire, to work for peace, but not with weapons, rather through dialogue, truly seeking a solution for everyone,” he told journalists.
There are more than a million displaced people and many dead… I invite all the authorities to truly work through dialogue to resolve the problems.
- 21:32 GMT
A US-Israeli strike hit the territory of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday evening, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has said.
Fortunately, the attack “resulted in no human, financial, or technical damage,” it said. “Targeting peaceful nuclear facilities is a blatant violation of international rights and regulations and a serious threat to regional security.”
The IAEA has been informed by Iran that another projectile hit the premises of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant today. According to Iran, there was no damage to the NPP itself nor injuries to staff, and the condition of the plant is normal. IAEA DG @rafaelmgrossi reiterates call… pic.twitter.com/PngRf4w23O
— IAEA — International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) March 24, 2026
- 21:35 GMT
At least seven people, including an infant, were injured in a missile strike on the Bnei Brak area east of Tel Aviv, according to Israel’s ambulance service Magen David Adom.
pic.twitter.com/nIadUSgFta
— Magen David Adom (@Mdais) March 24, 2026
- 21:38 GMT
The IDF has detected another wave of missiles launched from Iran toward Israel and is warning residents to seek shelter until further notice.
- 22:02 GMT
President Trump has described the March 4 friendly fire incident in which the US lost three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets as a “little mishap.”
“Kuwait, they had a little mishap. They shot down three planes with our missiles. They happened to be our planes,” Trump told journalists, suggesting that the jets were downed by the US-made Patriot missile defense system.
“The Kuwaitis made a mistake; they thought they were firing at the enemy… But the pilots made it. Can you imagine – the pilots saw what was coming, and they said ‘those are Patriots, we are not gonna escape Patriots.’ Pretty amazing that they got out,” he said.
While early reports initially suggested the use of ground-based systems like Patriot missiles, later analysis pointed to the possibility that a Kuwaiti F/A-18 pilot may have fired air-to-air missiles after misidentifying the US jets.
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