Iran launched waves of missiles against Israel this Tuesday (24), according to the Israeli Armed Forces, a day after United States President Donald Trump stated that there were “very good and productive” talks with the aim of ending the conflict in the Middle East.
Three senior Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump appeared determined to reach a deal but considered it highly unlikely that Iran would accept U.S. demands in any new round of talks.
After Trump’s comment on Truth Social on Monday (23), it had been held until then.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke with Trump less than 48 hours before the start of the war between the two countries, is expected to convene a meeting of security officials to review the proposed deal with Iran, according to two senior Israeli officials.
A Pakistani official said direct talks could take place as soon as this week.
The United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28 after saying they had failed to make progress in negotiations to end Iran’s nuclear program, although Oman, the mediator in the process, reported significant progress.
The crisis intensified across the region. Iran has attacked countries that host US bases, hit important energy installations and practically blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a passage through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows.
Air raid sirens sound in Tel Aviv
This Tuesday (24), Iranian missiles set off air warning sirens in Israel’s largest city, where a multi-story apartment building suffered openings in the roof and facades. It was not immediately clear whether the damage was caused by direct hits or debris from interceptions.
The Israel Fire and Rescue Service said it was searching for civilians trapped in one building and found people sheltering in another damaged building.
The Israeli Armed Forces reported that its fighter jets carried out a major offensive in central Tehran on Monday (23), hitting command centers, including installations linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ intelligence and the Ministry of Intelligence.
They also said more than 50 other targets were hit overnight, including ballistic missile storage and launch sites.
Air defense systems were activated in Tehran when explosions were heard in several areas of the capital, according to Iranian news agency Nournews.
Trump announced that he would delay for five days a plan to attack Iran’s power plants if the country did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran had promised to respond to the attacks by targeting the infrastructure of US allies in the region.
Iran denies negotiations with the US
Trump’s retreat caused stock prices to rise and oil to fall below $100 per barrel.
However, these gains were threatened this Tuesday (24), after the president of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf — interlocutor on the Iranian side, according to Israeli officials and other sources — stated that there were no negotiations.
“No negotiations were held with the US, and fake news is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel find themselves,” he wrote on X.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry, however, mentioned initiatives to reduce tensions in the region.
