Iran denied engaging in talks with U.S. officials following President Trump’s remarks, pushing back against reports of direct negotiations while tensions and military actions continued to escalate.
Damage in Tel Aviv region
Israeli authorities reported damage in the Tel Aviv region after an Iranian missile barrage on Tuesday. Israel Police said officers were responding to “scenes involving fallen munition” and that damage had been caused at the scene. The Israel Defense Forces said there were “several sites in central Israel where reports of impacts have been received.”
White House: talks a “fluid situation”
The White House described possible U.S.-Iran discussions as a “fluid situation” and would not confirm whether or when in-person talks might occur. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the United States will not negotiate through the press. This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House.”
Reports said envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with Vice President JD Vance, could travel to Islamabad to meet Iranian officials; the State Department referred questions to the White House, and Vance’s office did not respond to requests for comment. ABC News reported a Pakistani official saying Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator and that “several proposals” are being discussed, with an in-person meeting in Islamabad on the table. The official said Turkey and Egypt are also facilitating talks and that discussions would likely take place within five days, citing President Trump’s social media post pausing strikes on Iranian power plants for that period — while cautioning nothing is final.
CENTCOM: thousands of targets struck
U.S. Central Command said the United States has struck more than 9,000 targets in Iran since the start of Operation Epic Fury and reported more than 140 Iranian ships damaged or destroyed.
Netanyahu: spoke with Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with President Trump earlier Monday about the war with Iran. In a video message, he quoted Trump as believing there is an opportunity to “leverage the tremendous achievements we have attained with the U.S. military to realize the war’s objectives in an agreement — an agreement that will safeguard our vital interests.” Netanyahu added that Israel continues strikes in Iran and Lebanon, saying it is “crushing the missile program and the nuclear program” and inflicting severe blows on Hezbollah.
All parties described the situation as fluid and cautioned that plans and reports remain unconfirmed as diplomacy and military actions continue to unfold.