How major US stock indexes fared Monday 3/23/2026
A cautious relief swept through financial markets after President Donald Trump said the United States has talked with Iran about a possible end to their war.
· The Associated Press
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Newest first · UTC+11:00Iran denies Trump's claim of negotiations after US delays strikes on power plants
Donald Trump said "I think it could very well end up being a good deal for everybody". Source: Getty / Anadolu / Celal Gunes
· Sbsaustralia
Trump backs down from strikes on Iran’s power network: What we know so far
US President Donald Trump has ordered a five‑day delay in planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure, claiming “very good and productive” talks with Tehran are under way and will continue through the week. The move follows his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power network if it does not reopen t…
· RT
Asia wants more U.S. oil and gas to reduce Middle East dependence after Iran war, Burgum says
HOUSTON — Asian countries want to buy more U.S. energy to reduce their dependence on oil and gas exports from the Middle East, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told CNBC on Monday.
· Spencer Kimball
Trump bet on Israeli coup scheme in Iran – NYT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convinced US President Donald Trump to mount a joint attack on Iran by promising a quick coup in the country, the New York Times reported on Sunday, citing anonymous sources.
· RT
Trump approved Iran operation ‘after Netanyahu argued for joint killing of Khamenei’
New intelligence suggests Netanyahu pushed Trump to target Khamenei less than 48 hours before the February 28 Iran strike
· Reuters
Iran ready to supply fuel, other essentials to SL – Envoy - DailyNews
Iranian Ambassador in Colombo, Dr. Alireza Delkhosh yesterday said that Iran is ready to supply fuel and other essential goods to Sri Lanka upon request. “Iran is always ready to support Sri Lanka. If Sri Lanka requires fuel or any other essential goods, we are ready to provide them,” he said.
· Gayan Abeykoon
Bets on US-Iran ceasefire show signs of insider knowledge, say experts
New online accounts on Polymarket platform betting a total of $70,000 suggest ‘some degree of inside info’
· Aisha Down
Surprise US talks with Iran’s fractured leadership offer uncertain path out of conflict
Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf at first dismissed talks took place, insisting Trump’s claim was ‘fake news’ designed to soothe markets
· Patrickwintour
Trump looks trapped over Iran as markets gyrate and oil shortage hits heartland
Topic:Financial Markets
· Ian Verrender
Trump postpones military strikes on Iranian power plants - DailyNews
President Donald Trump said yesterday (23) that he has ordered the United States military to postpone strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days after holding “good and productive conversations” with Tehran.
· Gayan Abeykoon
Morning Mail: Trump claims ‘productive’ peace talks with Iran, ‘unacceptable’ Legal Aid move, Easter chocolate shrinkflation
Want to get this in your inbox every weekday? Sign up for the Morning Mail here, and finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter
· Martinfarrer
Netanyahu says attacks on Iran to continue as nations ask for UN approval of force in strait
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has released a short video statement backing US President Donald Trump's attempt to make a deal with Iran, but he says attacks on the country will not stop.
Trump says there are talks with Iran. Tehran says he's buying time
President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. was talking with a “respected” Iranian leader and claimed the Islamic Republic was eager for a deal to end the war. (AP Production: Marissa Duhaney)
· Aamer Madhani
Truth hard too find amid the barrage of missiles and propaganda
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
· Matthew Doran
Trump 'excursion' in Middle East takes a detour
Hello and welcome to our live rolling coverage of the war in the Middle East this Tuesday, March 24.
· Richard Wood
An inevitable step - DailyNews
A steep hike in the prices of fuel was inevitable, given the unprecedented rise in global crude prices in the wake of the war on Iran waged by the United States (US) and Israel. Even though the Government initially raised fuel prices by just eight percent, this was deemed insufficient as the Ceylon Petroleum Corpora…
· Gayan Abeykoon
Oil plunges 13% as Trump delays Iran strikes - DailyNews
Oil prices dropped by over 13 percent yesterday (23) after an announcement by US President Donald Trump that he would instruct the military to delay any strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.
· Gayan Abeykoon
China urges immediate halt to military action as tensions over Iran escalate - DailyNews
China urged on Monday an immediate stop to military operations and return to dialogue and negotiation, as fighting in the Middle East continues to spread and the risk of further escalation grows.
· Gayan Abeykoon
Iran threatens strikes on Gulf energy, water facilities after Trump’s ultimatum - DailyNews
Iran has warned it will target energy and water infrastructure across the Gulf if the United States follows through on its threat to strike its electricity grid, escalating tensions as a US deadline over the Strait of Hormuz approaches.
· Gayan Abeykoon
Netanyahu says spoke with Trump, vows to protect Israel's interests
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he spoke with Donald Trump, saying that the US president believed US-Israeli military gains in Iran could be converted into a negotiated agreement that protects Israel's interests.
· Agence France-Presse
Periodistas de Voice of America alegan que Trump quiere volverlo un medio de propaganda
El edificio de The Voice of America en Washington D.C., el 5 de mayo de 2025. (Foto AP/Gene J. Puskar, archivo)
· David Bauder
Yet another fuel shock proves renewables are a matter of national security
There is a striking difference between a modern-day energy crisis and the ones from the last century: now, the world has alternatives to fossil fuels.
· Jo Lauder
TACO Trump strikes again with sudden Iran backdown
From threats of fire and fury, Donald Trump has suddenly backed down from his obliteration warning against Iran. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)
· Kathryn Diss
Starmer’s liaison committee jaunt was largely soporific – just as he’d wanted | John Crace
Every PM hopes to emerge having said nothing that makes the news, and with Iran centre-stage Keir played a blinder
· Johncrace
Israelis say southern towns left unprotected as war with Iran intensifies
Residents of Israel's southern Negev region say they've been left defenceless against Iranian missile fire, and have called the government's response "a complete failure" rooted in years of policy neglect.
· Middleeasteye
This zombie ship was meant to be scrap metal — it just sailed the Strait of Hormuz
The LNG Jamal was taken to a scrap yard in 2025, but tracking data shows it reappearing after the start of the war in the Middle East. (MarineTraffic: Pietragala Geraldo/FILE)
· Cason Ho
Small comforts fade and big worries grow as fuel prices surge globally
Motorists queue up to get fuel at a pump, fearing a possible fuel shortage due to the US Iran war, in Ahmedabad, India, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
· Matt Sedensky
Trump claims he could jointly control the Strait of Hormuz with Iran’s supreme leader as Tehran denies any talks (VIDEOS, PHOTOS)
The Strait of Hormuz could be “open very soon” if diplomatic talks go well with Iran, US President Donald Trump told reporters this morning. The Iranian Foreign Ministry, however, has flatly denied the US president’s claims that any talks have taken place, neither directly nor through an intermediary.
· RT
'This war is not of their making,' Omani foreign minister says of Iran
The man who oversaw the negotiations between the US and Iran into their final hours last month has now publicly declared that the Islamic Republic is not the one responsible for the war the US and Israel began on 28 February.
· Middleeasteye
'This war is not of their making,' Omani foreign minister says of Iran
The man who oversaw the negotiations between the US and Iran into their final hours last month has now publicly declared that the Islamic Republic is not the one responsible for the war the US and Israel began on 28 February.
· Middleeasteye
The Guardian view on Trump’s Iran ‘talks’: a war, a pause – and a distraction | Editorial
The US president claims progress in talks with Iran, but uncertainty persists. Meanwhile, Israel advances West Bank annexation under cover of a crisis
· Editorial
In a contest between Trump and Tehran, it’s tough to know who to believe
Washington: Donald Trump’s Monday morning backdown – before markets opened in New York – was easy to foresee. In an all-caps message, the president announced the US and Iran had engaged in detailed and constructive talks over the weekend, and he would not proceed with his threats to attack Iranian energy facilities.
· Michael Koziol
Transportistas de Guatemala protestan por el alza de combustibles y la ley que limita la velocidad
CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA (AP) — Cientos de transportistas bloquearon el lunes algunos tramos de carreteras en Guatemala y realizaron caravanas en protesta por el alza de los precios de los combustibles y la ley que limita la velocidad de los vehículos pesados.
· Sonia P Rez D
Trump says US and Iran 'want deal' as Tehran calls claim of talks ‘fake news’
US President Donald Trump speaks to the media about talks with Iran. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
Iran denies any talks with US after Trump claims ‘productive’ discussions
Senior Iranian officials have denied that Iran held talks with the United States, just hours after US President Donald Trump claimed “very good and productive conversations” had taken place towards ending the war.
· Al Jazeera Staff
US-Iran war live updates: Trump postpones strikes on power plants, says Iran wants to make a deal; Iranian speaker labels talks ‘fake news’
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· Sarah McPhee
Gold tumbles to lowest price in 2026 despite Trump’s pause on strikes against Iran
Gold futures kept tumbling Monday despite President Trump’s halt on military strikes against Iran as investors continued to fret that the conflict could stall interest-rate cuts.
· Taylor Herzlich
ASX set to surge as Trump backs away from Iran threat; Oil tumbles
Relief is flowing through financial markets after President Donald Trump said the United States has talked with Iran about a possible end to their war. Oil prices are easing, and stock prices are jumping on Wall Street following severe losses taken elsewhere in the world before Trump’s announcement.
· Stan Choe
Israelis say southern towns left unprotected as war with Iran intensifies
Residents of Israel's southern Negev region say they've been left defenceless against Iranian missile fire, and have called the government's response "a complete failure" rooted in years of policy neglect.
· Middleeasteye
Trump flip-flops on Iran deadline | The Latest
Donald Trump has said he is postponing strikes on Iranian power plants for a five-day period, extending a deadline he gave the regime to open the strait of Hormuz. The US president had threatened to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants, while Tehran said in return it would ‘irreversibly destroy’ essential infrastructure…
Jewish charity ambulances set on fire as UK police investigate possible antisemitic attack
LONDON — Four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity were set on fire early Monday in London in what British police are investigating as an antisemitic hate crime. Detectives were working to determine whether a claim of responsibility from a group with alleged links to Iran was authentic.
· Agence France-Presse
A war and maybe an unprecedented depression: it’s Trump’s mania, but now all of us will pay the price | Polly Toynbee
It had been possible to observe this presidency in abstract terms, but no more. The consequences of the Iran attack will affect our lives and our politics
· Pollytoynbee
Between fatwa and the bomb: Is Iran rethinking its nuclear doctrine?
By Farhad Ibragimov – lecturer at the Faculty of Economics at RUDN University, expert and lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences and Mass Communications, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation
· RT
Trump says he and 'the ayatollah' can share control of Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump on Monday said he and Iran's ayatollah could "jointly" control the Strait of Hormuz, as he unleashed a flurry of de-escalatory statements.
· Middleeasteye
Is Iran really able to strike London, and is the UK prepared for an attack?
After Tehran targeted the UK-US base on Diego Garcia, Israel’s military said European capitals were also at risk
· Jamie Grierson
Italian voters reject judicial reform in a setback for PM Giorgia Meloni
The Italian premier is also facing growing scrutiny over her controversial alignment with Trump and his increasingly unpopular war on Iran.
· Associated Press
Turkey seeks off-ramp to war through US-Iran negotiations
Turkey is seeking an off-ramp to the war on Iran, engaging both the US and the Islamic Republic in an effort to initiate negotiations on a potential deal, sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.
· Middleeasteye
Jim Jatras: Iran War ultimatums and retaliation (LIVE)
Starmer is in zugzwang. Mandelson arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office
UK Defence Secretary says Iran fired missiles on Diego Garcia
UK Defence Secretary John Healey claimed on Monday that Iran fired two missiles at the joint UK-US Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean on Friday.
· Middleeasteye