Updated March 24, 2026 at 10:14 AM PDT
Pakistan's prime minister on Tuesday said the country stands ready to host negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to end the war.
His announced on social media came amid conflicting statements between President Trump and Iran on whether the countries were already engaging in talks. Iran dismissed Trump's remarks that negotiations were ongoing.
Meanwhile, Israel and Iran exchanged more strikes Tuesday, including one Iranian missile that hit central Tel Aviv.
Here's what else to know about the latest developments in the conflict.
To jump to specific areas of coverage, use the links below:
U.S.-Iran talks | Iran-Israel strikes | Displaced Iranians | Israel strikes Lebanon
Pakistan's prime minister: "Ready" to facilitate talks to end the war
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said on social media his country "stands ready" to facilitate talks between the U.S. and Iran to end the war. He followed his statement by tagging the X accounts of President Trump, as well as a U.S. envoy and Iran's foreign minister.
Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the WAR in Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in region and beyond. Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) March 24, 2026
Neither the U.S. nor Iran have commented on Pakistan's public offer to host talks. Pakistan has warm relations with the Trump administration, Iran and Gulf nations.
Earlier, an Israeli official told NPR that planning was underway for talks in Pakistan later this week. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it.
President Trump has suggested that the Iran war could be heading toward a diplomatic off-ramp, describing ongoing negotiations with the Iranians in positive terms on social media and to reporters Monday.
After initially threatening to "obliterate" Iran's power plants, he posted on Truth Social on Monday that he had ordered a five-day delay on striking the country's energy infrastructure while the talks continue.
Iran's Foreign Ministry denied entering negotiations with the U.S. The parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, alleged the talks were "fake news [that] is intended to manipulate financial and oil markets and to escape the quagmire in which America and Israel are trapped."
But while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei denied Iran was negotiating with the U.S., he told state media that the ministry was responding to requests through intermediaries of friendly countries.
NPR has confirmed there are backchannel efforts to open dialogue. Intermediaries such as Pakistan as well as Egypt and Turkey have been relaying messages between the parties and are playing a role in efforts toward de-escalation.
Qamar Cheema, the executive director of the Islamabad-based think tank the Sanober Institute, told NPR that Pakistan has been working to facilitate negotiations between Iran and the U.S. since Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Saudi Arabia alongside other regional counterparts last week.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff "has a direct connection" to Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, said Cheema, who is considered close to Pakistan's government and military. "They have a good working relation."
The Pakistani prime minister's office did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment on the efforts.
Tel Aviv hit as Iran fires new wave of missiles at Israel
The Israeli military said Iran fired missiles at Israel at least eight times on Tuesday, with impacts reported in at least four sites across the country. At least six people were injured in Tel Aviv, according to Israeli health officials.
NPR visited the site of the blast in an upscale residential neighborhood of Tel Aviv, and identified a crater in the middle of the road where the missile fell. The facade of an apartment building next to it was badly damaged, and cars in the surrounding area were crushed.
Israeli police estimate the Iranian missile contained a warhead with about 220 pounds of explosives. Israel's defense systems did not intercept it.
Earlier on Tuesday, an explosion was reported in northern Israel, injuring at least one person. Other blasts were reported in southern Israel.
Around 15 people in Israel and four Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have been killed by Iranian strikes since the start of the war on Feb. 28, according to Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
— Daniel Estrin
NPR speaks to Iranians at the Turkish-Iranian border
NPR has spoken to more Iranians fleeing Iran, as the war nears its one-month mark.
Many said they were relieved that Trump said he would postpone his initial threat to target Iran's power plants, but worried the U.S. would reach an agreement with Iran that would keep the current government in place.
Speaking from the eastern Turkish-Iranian border Tuesday, Iranians spoke about hearing heavy bombardments, especially in Iran's capital of Tehran. They also told reporters about a large Iranian security presence on the streets.
All asked not to be identified by name over fears of Iranian government reprisal.
One man, speaking out against the war, said he believed Israel's motive for bombing the country is to expand its borders into Iran.
Most Iranians NPR spoke to said they supported the strikes on Iran from the U.S. and Israel.
"We needed a foreign military intervention to save us," one person said. Israeli-U.S. strikes "already killed the former Supreme Leader [Ali] Khamenei and I hope they kill the rest [of the leadership] soon."
Another man, whose hometown was very active in a wave of anti-government protests in January, said he felt Iranians had gone through enough suffering under the current leadership.
He said "everything is gone" from my hometown — and that "what is left is the bitterness of 47 years that is strangling us [Iranians]."
The man said a turning point for him was the bloody Iranian government crackdown. The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based human rights monitoring group, says it has confirmed that Iran killed more than 7,000 of its own citizens in the protests.
— Emily Feng
Israeli airstrike kills two in Beirut
Lebanon's Health Ministry said that an Israeli airstrike killed at least two people southeast of Beirut.
The strike was one of several explosions heard across the Lebanese capital overnight. In a post on X, Israel's military said it was targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
Israel has issued multiple evacuation orders across Lebanon since the start of the war, leaving over 1 million people displaced, according to the Lebanese government.
Monday's strike, southeast of the capital, came without warning from the Israeli military. Footage shows flames and smoke billowing from a residential building.
This week, Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, threatened to use the so-called "Gaza model," in Lebanon, which razed many residential areas. He also said he's accelerating the destruction of Lebanese homes in border villages, from which Iran-backed militia Hezbollah, fired rockets.
In its latest report, Human Rights Watch said forcible displacement and deliberate targeting of civilians constitute war crimes.Israel has also struck gas stations across Lebanon that are known to have business ties with Hezbollah.
— Lauren Frayer
Diaa Hadid contributed reporting from Mumbai, India, Daniel Estrin and Itay Stern from Tel Aviv, Israel, Lauren Frayer from Beirut, Emily Feng from Van, Turkey, Rebecca Rosman from Paris and Alex Leff from Washington.
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