Iran sends new waves of missiles into Israel

Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, the Israeli military said, after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed the bombing of the Islamic Republic's power plants and energy infrastructure because of what he described as productive talks with Iranian officials.

The missiles triggered air raid sirens in parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv where blasts from interceptions were heard. In one attack, homes in northern Israel were damaged by falling debris following an interception. No deaths were reported.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Monday that the U.S. and Iran had held "very good and productive" conversations about a "complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East."

As a result, Trump said he was postponing for five days a plan to hit Iran's power plants, which he had threatened if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, the pause only applies to Iran's energy sites and U.S. strikes on the country continue, U.S. news outlet Semafor reported, citing a U.S. official.

Iran responded to the threat, saying it would hammer U.S. allies in the Middle East's infrastructure, raising the prospect of an extreme disruption to global energy supplies.

Iran denies negotiations

Trump's step back sent share prices higher and oil prices sharply lower to below $100 a barrel, a sudden reversal to a market swoon caused by his weekend threats and Iran's vows to respond.

Those gains were in jeopardy on Tuesday, however, after Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, whom an Israeli official and two other sources familiar with the matter had claimed was the interlocutor in the talks on the Iranian side, denied that negotiations had taken place.

"No negotiations have been held with the U.S., and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the U.S. and Israel are trapped," he wrote on X.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they were launching fresh attacks on U.S. targets, and described Trump's words as "psychological operations" that were "worn out" with no impact on Tehran's fight.

Trump told reporters his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who had been negotiating with Iran before the war, had held discussions with a top Iranian official on Sunday and would continue on Monday.

"We have had very, very strong talks. We'll see where they lead. We have major points of agreement, I would say, almost all points of agreement," he said on Monday.

A European official said that while there had been no direct negotiations between the two nations, Egypt, Pakistan and Gulf states were relaying messages.

A Pakistani official and a second source told Reuters that direct talks on ending the war could be held in Islamabad as soon as this week.

The Pakistani official said U.S. Vice President JD Vance, as well as Witkoff and Kushner, were expected to meet Iranian officials in Islamabad this week, following a call between Trump and Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir.

The White House confirmed Trump's call with Munir. The Pakistani prime minister's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Although there was no immediate confirmation that talks had taken place as described by Trump, Iran's foreign ministry described initiatives to reduce tensions.

It said Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi had reviewed developments related to the Strait of Hormuz with his Omani counterpart and agreed to continue consultations between the two countries.