Several Loud Explosions Heard In Bahrain
Several loud explosions were reportedly heard in Bahrain on March 23.
According to AFP, the Bahraini Interior Ministry has called on the country's people on social media to evacuate to shelters or safe places.
Bahrain is home to the US Fifth Fleet naval headquarters and has been repeatedly targeted by missile and drone attacks since US and Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28 and Tehran's subsequent counterattacks across the region.
There has been no report yet on the extent of damage or possible casualties.
Iran Denies Any Dialogue With Washington Despite Trump Claims
While US President Donald Trump said he is withholding strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure after "very good and productive" talks with Tehran, officials and media in Iran have denied any such dialogue taking place.
The Tasnim and Fars news agencies, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, cited sources saying "no negotiations" were under way, either directly or indirectly, between Tehran and Washington.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry added in a statement that "The US President's statements are within the framework of efforts to reduce energy prices and gain time to implement his military plans."
"There are initiatives from regional countries to reduce tensions, and our response to all of them is clear: We are not the party that started this war, and all these requests should be referred to Washington," the ministry added.
How Far Could Iranian Missiles Reach?
Trump Says Withholding Strikes On Iranian Energy Infrastructure
The latest from our news desk:
US President Donald Trump said he is withholding any strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for five days after having "very good and productive" talks with Tehran over the past two days on ending their conflict.
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Meanwhile, Reuters has reported that "Productive talks between US President Donald Trump and Iran are welcome as Britain wants de-escalation in the Middle East and the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday."
More comments from Trump:
Iran wants to make a deal badly and that could come within five days or less, US President Donald Trump told Fox Business Network on March 23. Trump said the most recent talks between U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and their counterparts took place on Sunday night, Trump said in a telephone interview, according to the host of the "Mornings with Maria" program
Kremlin Dismisses Report On Deal With US To Halt Intel Sharing With Iran
The Kremlin has knocked down a report by media outlet Politico that it offered to make a deal with the United States where it would stop sharing intelligence with Iran if Washington stopped sharing such information with Ukraine.
"We certainly saw this report. It falls into the category of untrue, or rather, false," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow on March 23. Over the weekend Politico cited sources as saying Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev offered the deal during a meeting with US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff in Miami.
Politico said the United States rejected the proposal. Dmitriev earlier had written in a post on X that the report was "fake."
Iran Threatens To Mine Entire Persian Gulf If Attacked
Iran's Defense Council, which was established in August 2025 after the 12-day war to centralize wartime decision making, has threatened to mine the entire Persian Gulf if Iranian shores or islands come under attack.
As US President Donald Trump's deadline for Iran to fully open the Strait of Hormuz approached, the council said that, if attacked, it would mine all access routes and communication lines in the Gulf and along the coasts with various types of naval mines, including floating mines that could be released from shore.
The council added that, in such a case, the entire Gulf would effectively face a situation similar to the Strait of Hormuz for an extended period in that it would be essentially blocked.
Revolutionary Guard Says Would Hit Israeli, Regional Power Plants If Iranian Facilities Are Attacked
In a statement, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) says that in the event of an attack on Iranian power plants, it will retaliate, targeting Israeli and regional power facilities that supply electricity to US bases.
On March 21, US President Donald Trump demanded Tehran “fully open” the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or the US would "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal has reported that Gulf Arab states have warned the US administration that targeting Iran’s power plants would trigger reprisals that could endanger their energy and water facilities.
Air Strike On Iranian Radio Station Kills 1, State Media Report
An air strike on a radio station in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas has killed at least one person, Iranian state TV said on March 23. "The 100-kilowatt AM transmitter of the Persian Gulf Radio and Television Center was attacked by the American-Zionist terrorist army," the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported. "In this attack, which was against international laws, one of the center's security colleagues was martyred and another person was injured." No further details were immediately available.
Blasts Heard In Central Tehran After Israel Launches New Wave Of Attacks
Blasts were reported in central Tehran early on March 23 after Israel said it had begun a wide-scale wave of attacks targeting infrastructure in the capital. The Fars Iranian state news agency reported that the explosions occurred in multiple locations. Fars reported that air strikes targeted five areas of Tehran and that "terrible sounds of explosions have been reported." There were no immediate details on damages or casualties. Israel's military said it targeted a military base utilized for training and storage of missile systems; two weapons production sites; and the headquarters of the Iranian Intelligence Ministry and of the internal security forces.
IEA Chief Says Energy Crisis From Iran War A 'Major Threat' To Global Economy
The chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA) says the global economy faces a "major threat" from the energy crisis spilling out of the Middle East war and warns that "no country will be immune to its effects."
Executive Director Fatih Birol, speaking on March 23 at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, said the current energy crisis is worse than the two oil shocks of the 1970s and the impact of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
"This crisis, as things stand, is now two oil crises and one gas crash put all together," he said.
"The global economy is facing a major, major threat today, and I very much hope that this issue will be resolved as soon as possible," Birol said.
"No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues to go in this direction. So there is a need for global efforts," he said.
Birol said the IEA is consulting with governments in Asia and Europe on the possibility of releasing more stockpiled oil.
"If it is necessary, of course, we will do it. We look at the conditions, we will analyze, assess the markets and discuss with our member countries," Birol said.
"The single most important solution to this problem is opening the Hormuz Strait," he said.
On March 21, US President Donald Trump gave Tehran 48 hours to reopen the crucial waterway or said he would "obliterate" Iran's power stations.
He has also demanded that countries that benefit from oil sources shipped through the strait take the lead in ensuring safety for oil tankers through the waterway. Many countries have shown reluctance to joining such an effort but have moved closer to agreeing following pressure from Trump.