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President Donald Trump said that his administration was holding productive talks with Tehran, but fighting showed no signs of slowing and Iran denied there were talks.
The Associated Press reported that Iranian officials said that Trump had backed down "following Iran’s firm warning."
Relief ripped through financial markets on Monday as oil prices eased following severe losses prior to Trump’s announcement. Markets have experienced vicious swings since the war began because of uncertainty about how long it may last.
RELATED: Oil prices spike as Iran war intensifies: What to know
A man looks at debris at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb of Bir al Abed on March 24, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
The Associated Press reported that the death toll has climbed to more than 1,500 people in Iran, over1,000 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel and 13 U.S. military personnel, and a number of civilians on land and sea in the Gulf region. Millions of people in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.
Here’s the latest from Tuesday:
In a cryptic comment, Trump says Iran has shared a ‘present’ as show of faith
3 p.m. ET: Asked if he trusts the Iranians said to be in talks with U.S. representatives, President Donald Trump said he doesn’t trust anybody but alluded to receiving a "gift" that he said suggested "we’re dealing with the right people," the Associated Press reported.
"They gave us a present, and the present arrived today," Trump said speaking at the White House on Tuesday. "It was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money. And I’m not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize."
The AP noted that as he was pressed for more detail, Trump said it was "oil- and gas-related" but went no further. "It was a very nice thing they did. But what it showed me is that we’re dealing with the right people."
Trump says Vance, Rubio and others are involved in talks about Iran
2:35 p.m. ET: According to the Associated Press, President Donald Trump said while speaking at the White House on Tuesday that the U.S. is "in negotiations right now," and that his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are involved in the talks, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
"We have a number of people doing it," Trump said. "And the other side, I can tell you, they’d like to make a deal."
White House describes possibility of Iran talks as a ‘fluid situation’
12:30 p.m. ET: When asked about the possibility of the U.S. participating in talks in Pakistan, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press that "these are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the U.S. 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," Leavitt said.
US stocks give back some of the rally sparked by Trump’s talk of negotiations with Iran
10:50 a.m. ET: According to the Associated Press, some of the optimism that sent stocks rallying the day before, changed on Wall Street on Tuesday. Oil prices are rising again, and U.S. stocks are returning some of their gains.
The AP reported that the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil rose 2.9% to $102.84, a day after slumping more than 10%. The main measure of the U.S. stock market, the S&P 500, fell 0.4% to give back more than a third of its climb from the day before.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 127 points, or 0.3%, as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.8% lower.
According to the AP, the optimism at the week’s start came after President Donald Trump raised hopes the war could end soon when he said the United States and Iran held productive talks "regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East." Trump's announcement caused stocks to flip from losses to gains.
However, Iran has denied such talks are underway, and attacks continued Tuesday.
Trump and Modi speak about the Iran conflict
9:45 a.m. ET: The Associated Press reported that Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, posted about the call on social media Tuesday morning.
Modi called it a "useful exchange of views" and stressed that India "supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest."
According to the AP, Modi also emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz needs to be "open, secure and accessible."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads to France to sell the Iran war to skeptical G7 allies
8:05 a.m. ET: The State Department told the Associated Press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend a Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting near Versailles outside of Paris on Friday "to advance key U.S. interests" and "discuss shared security concerns and opportunities for cooperation."
"Areas of focus will include the Russia-Ukraine war, the situation in the Middle East, and threats across the world to peace and stability," the agency said.
Nearly all the other G7 nations — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — have reacted coolly at best to the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran and have declined to participate.
Trump extends deadline for Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Dig deeper:
President Donald Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, telling reporters that the U.S. will hold off striking Iranian power plants for five more days to allow U.S. envoys to hold talks with a "respected" Iranian leader, the Associated Press reported.
Over the weekend, Trump threatened to "obliterate" Iran’s power plants unless the country released its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all traded oil passed before the war, within 48 hours.
That deadline would have expired late Monday, Washington, D.C. time. Trump said his administration has been negotiating "for a long time" with Iran.
"They want peace," Trump said. "They’ve agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon, you know, etc., etc. but we’ll see." He said there’s a "very good chance" a deal will be reached this week, crediting his threat to blow up Iranian power plants.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer indicated he was aware of talks between Iran and the U.S.
"We, the U.K., were aware that was happening," he said Monday, without giving details.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by FOX Local. This story was reported from San Jose and Washington, D.C.