Israel and Iran ramp up attacks as Trump insists Tehran wants a deal

## Summary
Amir Levy/Getty Images Europe hide caption toggle caption Amir Levy/Getty Images Europe The war in the Middle East ramped up on Thursday as Israel launched a wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure in the central city of Isfahan , while Iran fired two rounds of missiles at central Israel causing destruction and injuries. Ilya Yefimovich/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Ilya Yefimovich/AFP via Getty Images Iran, Hezbollah and Israel trade strikes NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv spoke to two military officials who told him Israel wants to keep fighting and is hoping for weeks more of war in Iran. AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption AFP via Getty Images But Iran rejected the proposal, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country wants to end the war only on "our own terms." Iran has given five conditions: "end to aggression by the enemy, concrete guarantees preventing the recurrence of war, clear determination, guaranteed payment of war damages and compensation, comprehensive end to the war across all fronts, incl. against all resistance groups, recognition of Iran's sovereignty over Strait of Hormuz." Iranian officials have insisted they are not negotiating with the U.S., saying the countries have only exchanged messages via regional intermediaries. AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption AFP via Getty Images The Strait, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, is considered an international waterway for ships to access freely.

## Article Content
Israel and Iran ramp up attacks as Trump insists Tehran wants a deal
March 26, 2026
5:44 AM ET
By
NPR Staff
People look at a destroyed apartment after a hit of a ballistic missile fired from Iran, left 2 injured on March 25, 2026 in Bnei Brak, Israel.
Amir Levy/Getty Images Europe
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Amir Levy/Getty Images Europe
The war in the Middle East ramped up on Thursday as Israel launched a wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure in the central city of
Isfahan
, while Iran fired two rounds of missiles at central Israel causing destruction and injuries.
Israel was also under attack from a wave of rockets from Lebanon, and an Israeli soldier in Lebanon was
killed.
On Wednesday night, President Trump again claimed Iran "so badly" wanted to make a deal with the U.S., despite Tehran's rejection of a 15-point proposal to end the war. Iran says it doesn't plan on negotiating with the U.S. at all, and that it has its own conditions.
Meanwhile Germany's defense minister called the war "
a catastrophe
for the world's economies" and slammed the U.S. for having "no exit strategy."
Here are more updates on day 27 of the Iran war.
To jump to specific areas of coverage, use the links below:
Thursday strikes
|
Negotiation claims
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Kharg Island
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Germany slams the U.S.
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Oil prices
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UAE affected
Arab-Israeli residents surveys the damage following a projectile strike in the Arab-Israeli city of Kfar Qassem on March 26, 2026.
Ilya Yefimovich/AFP via Getty Images
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Ilya Yefimovich/AFP via Getty Images
Iran, Hezbollah and Israel trade strikes
NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv spoke to two military officials who told him Israel wants to keep fighting and is hoping for weeks more of war in Iran.
A person briefed on the operation told NPR the Israeli military is speeding up its targeting in Iran over the next 48 hours, focusing on trying to hit Iran's arms factories as much as possible — in case a ceasefire is declared.
The Israel Defense Forces said on X it had completed a "wave of extensive strikes in Isfahan…targeting infrastructure."
But Israel was also under attack Thursday, with air sirens sounding in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and the IDF saying rescue crews were en route to the location of a strike at the center of the country.
The IDF reported a soldier on the ground in Lebanon had been killed, naming him as 21-year-old Sergeant Ori Greenberg.
Israel says its airstrikes continue in southern Lebanon, in advance of what Israeli officials say will be a "prolonged" ground invasion targeting Hezbollah militants.
The Iran-backed group continues to fire rockets into northern Israel and Israeli officials say a civilian woman was killed by that rocket fire this week.
Israeli officials say they plan to take Lebanese territory up to the Litani River, which runs 10 to 20 miles north of border with Israel. Hezbollah says it targeted a group of Israeli soldiers inside that area, with a drone.
Trump repeats negotiation claims
In
remarks
at a Republican fundraising dinner on Wednesday night, the president insisted Iran was looking to do a deal but didn't want to admit it because they were afraid their citizens would turn on them.
"We're winning so big. Nobody's ever seen anything like we're doing in the Middle East with Iran. And they are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they're afraid to say it because they figure they'll be killed by their own people," he said. "They're also afraid they'll be killed by us. There's never been a head of a country that wanted that job less than being the head of Iran."
Under a proposed U.S. plan Iran would end its nuclear program, stop supporting proxy militias in the Middle East, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and limit its missile program. In exchange Iran would get relief from sanctions.
People wave national flags and hold portraits of Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei as they march in support of the Iranian armed forces in central Tehran on March 25, 2026.
AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
But Iran rejected the proposal, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country wants to end the war only on "our own terms." Iran has given five conditions: "end to aggression by the enemy, concrete guarantees preventing the recurrence of war, clear determination, guaranteed payment of war damages and compensation, comprehensive end to the war across all fronts, incl. against all resistance groups, recognition of Iran's sovereignty over Strait of Hormuz."
Iranian officials have insisted they are not negotiating with the U.S., saying the countries have only exchanged messages via regional intermediaries.
Pakistan has emerged as a potential mediator for talks and there's a question over whether the U.S. and Iran could hold talks in coming days.
An official in Islamabad, not authorized to speak publicly, told NPR that the Pakistani interior minister had held a secret meeting with the Iranian amb

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption AFP via Getty Images But Iran rejected the proposal, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country wants to end the war only on "our own terms." Iran has given five conditions: "end to aggression by the enemy, concrete guarantees preventing the recurrence of war, clear determination, guaranteed payment of war damages and compensation, comprehensive end to the war across all fronts, incl. against all resistance groups, recognition of Iran's sovereignty over Strait of Hormuz." Iranian officials have insisted they are not negotiating with the U.S., saying the countries have only exchanged messages via regional intermediaries.

### Areas for Consideration
- UAE's stable reputation at risk On Thursday morning alerts sounded in the United Arab Emirates .

### Implications
- Israel says its airstrikes continue in southern Lebanon, in advance of what Israeli officials say will be a "prolonged" ground invasion targeting Hezbollah militants.
- Pakistan has emerged as a potential mediator for talks and there's a question over whether the U.S. and Iran could hold talks in coming days.
- Will U.S. forces seize Kharg Island?
- Pistorius said while Germany would not be getting involved in the war, they could help secure the vital economic waterway once a ceasefire is agreed.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers iran, war, israel topics. Notable strengths include discussion of iran. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1497.