Damage in Tel Aviv region after Iranian attack, authorities say
Israeli authorities reported damage in the Tel Aviv region after an Iranian missile barrage on Tuesday. Israel Police said in a post to X that its officers were responding to “scenes involving fallen munition. Damage has been caused at the scene.” The Israel Defense Forces reported “several sites in central Israel where reports of impacts have been received.”
Mar 23, 2026, 6:03 PM EDT
White House says US-Iran talks a ‘fluid situation’
The Trump administration is not confirming if and when in-person talks will take place between U.S. and Iranian officials in the coming days, calling the situation “fluid.” “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,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to ABC News.
When asked if U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Vice President JD Vance were expected to travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, later this week to meet with Iranian officials—as Reuters reported—the State Department referred ABC News to the White House. Vance’s office has not responded to requests for comment.
Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator between the U.S. and Iran. A Pakistani official familiar with the negotiations said there are “several proposals” floating around regarding the next steps for talks and that an in-person meeting in Islamabad is on the table. Turkey and Egypt are also helping to facilitate the talks between the U.S. and Iran, the official said.
The official said the talks would likely take place within the next five days in accordance with President Donald Trump’s social media post, in which he said strikes on Iranian power plants were “paused” for the next five days as Tehran and Washington engage in diplomatic negotiations. The official cautioned that nothing is final as of yet.
– ABC News’ Mariam Khan and Hannah Demissie
Mar 23, 2026, 3:53 PM EDT
Over 9,000 targets struck in Iran: CENTCOM
The U.S. has struck more than 9,000 targets in Iran since the start of Operation Epic Fury, according to U.S. Central Command. More than 140 Iranian ships have been damaged or destroyed, it said in an update Monday.
Mar 23, 2026, 3:53 PM EDT
Netanyahu says he’s spoken to Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke to President Donald Trump earlier Monday about the war in Iran. “President Trump believes 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 said in a video message.
Israel continues to strike Iran and Lebanon, he said, adding, “We are crushing the missile program and the nuclear program, and continue to inflict severe blows on Hezbollah.”