Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:10pm on 23 Mar 2026,Monday International
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf rejected Donald Trump’s claim of “productive talks” between United States and Iran, calling it “fake news” aimed at manipulating financial and oil markets. Ghalibaf asserted no negotiations had taken place, while Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed only indirect messages via friendly countries. Trump had earlier paused planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for five days, citing progress in discussions with a “top person,” though not Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Markets reacted sharply, with oil prices falling over 10% and equities rising on de-escalation hopes. Iran maintains no direct talks occurred during the ongoing 24-day conflict.
