US enters new talks with Iran

Summary

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Ark News Daily – March 24, 2026

Episode: US enters new talks with Iran

Host: Deborah Pardes, Ark Media
Key Voices: Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu
Main Theme:
This episode covers the surprising shift in US policy as President Donald Trump announces last-minute negotiations with Iran to end the ongoing war. The episode unpacks the conditions of negotiations, reactions from regional players, and a surge in anti-Jewish violence abroad.

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Episode Overview

The central focus is the US's abrupt decision to enter renewed talks with Iran, the implications for the Middle East, Israel, and global Jewish communities. The episode also highlights dramatic diplomatic developments, new Iranian demands, and a wave of antisemitic attacks in Europe.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Policy Reversal and the New Talks

• Pivot from Confrontation to Diplomacy:
  • Last Friday, Trump ruled out negotiations and threatened military action if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz ([00:37]).
  • On Monday, he extended the deadline for military action to pursue negotiations instead:
    “We’re doing a five day period. We’ll see how that goes. And if it goes well, we’re going to end up with settling this. Otherwise, we’ll just keep bombing our little hearts out.” – Donald Trump ([01:17])
• Economic Impact:
  • Oil prices dropped, and markets rallied after the announcement of talks ([00:37]).

2. US Demands and Iranian Response

• Terms from the US Side:
  • Iran must:
    • Reopen the Strait of Hormuz
    • End all nuclear enrichment
    • Surrender near weapons-grade uranium stockpiles
    • Keep ballistic arsenal “low key” ([01:30])
• Israeli Stake:
  • Netanyahu dispatches Ron Dermer to lobby for Israeli interests in the talks ([01:30]).
• With Whom is the US Negotiating?
  • Trump says it’s with “the most respected Iranian leader running the country right now,” not young Supreme Leader Majdaba Khamenei, who has gone unseen ([01:30]).
  • Reports claim it’s Parliament Speaker Mohammed Galiboff, who denies negotiations and calls Trump’s claims “fake news,” and demands “complete and remorseful punishment of the aggressors” from Iran (quoted at [01:30]).

3. New Iranian Demands

• Strait of Hormuz: Iran wants to maintain effective control ([02:10]).
• US Military Presence: Demands US close its Gulf bases ([02:10]).

4. US Signals Willingness to Tolerate Regime Survival

• Trump hints at accepting the regime’s survival, modeling after the Venezuelan transition, where Maduro's deputy remained after US intervention:
  • “Look at Venezuela, how well that’s working. We are doing so well in Venezuela with oil and with the relationship between the president elect and us.” – Donald Trump ([03:54])
• Trump’s stance has shifted: previously urged Iranian uprising; now claims the war achieved “regime change of sorts” by eliminating old leadership ([04:03]).

5. Israeli Mixed Reactions and Mossad Activities

• Regime Change Not a Guarantee:
  • “Yes, the regime could change. Is it guaranteed? No. And is it up to the Iranian people in the final accounting to make use of the conditions that we're doing in weakening this regime?” – Benjamin Netanyahu ([04:29])
• Mossad’s Struggles:
  • NYT reports Netanyahu is frustrated over Mossad’s inability to spark rebellion ([04:40]).
  • Mossad continues public calls in Farsi for Iranians to “join the fight against the regime and build a new Iran” ([04:40]).

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Violence Against Jews Abroad

6. Surge in Antisemitic Attacks

• Major Incident in London:
  • Four Hatzala ambulances set ablaze outside a synagogue; explosions damaged nearby homes.
  • Terror group Ashab Al Yamin, tied to Iran, claims responsibility for the attack and recent violence against Jewish sites in Europe ([05:30]).
• Official Condemnation:
  • UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer:
    “Anti-Semitism has no place in our society and it's really important that we all stand together at a moment like this.” ([06:22])
• Community Fears:
  • British police treat it as anti-Semitic hate crime, but not as terrorism ([06:30]).
  • Local Jews express frustration and fear:
    “And I hope all the Jews do leave because there is no protection here in terms of what's going on online and all the hate towards Jewish communities. Why would you want to live in fear?” ([06:55])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump, on the tone of talks:
  “We’re dealing with some people that I find to be very reasonable, very solid, they're very respected, and maybe one of them will be exactly what we're looking for.” ([03:19])
• Galiboff (Iranian Speaker), denying negotiations:
  “Iranian people demand complete and remorseful punishment of the aggressors.” ([01:30])
• Netanyahu, skeptical of guaranteed change:
  “Yes, the regime could change. Is it guaranteed? No.” ([04:29])
• UK PM’s stand against antisemitism:
  “Anti-Semitism has no place in our society...” ([06:22])
• Local Jewish resident in London:
  “Why would you want to live in fear?” ([06:55])

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Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:25–01:17: Trump’s pivot, announcement of new talks
• 01:30–03:19: US and Iranian negotiating terms, identities of negotiators
• 03:29–04:03: US signals acceptance of regime survival, Venezuela analogy
• 04:03–04:40: Regime change debate, Israeli/Mossad perspectives
• 05:30–06:55: Antisemitic attacks in London and wider Europe, community reactions

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Tone & Takeaways

The episode captures high-stakes diplomacy underscored by urgency, skepticism, and shifting alliances. The tone is urgent and analytical, interspersed with quotes reflecting frustration and hope on all sides. The rise in global antisemitism underscores the wider impact of Middle Eastern conflict.

For listeners:
This episode provides an in-depth snapshot of rapidly evolving US-Iran diplomacy, Israeli anxieties, and how the conflict reverberates through global Jewish communities.

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Transcript

[Deborah Pardes]

You are listening to an art media podcast. It's Tuesday, march 24th. I'm deborah pardes and this is arc news daily.

[Donald Trump]

We've had very strong talks. Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner had them. They went, I would say, perfectly. If they carry through with that, it'll end that conflict.

[Deborah Pardes]

On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States is holding talks with Iran to end the war. It was a hard pivot from his stance on Friday when Trump ruled out negotiations on Saturday. He had also threatened to bomb Iran's power stations if it didn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. But hours ahead of that deadline on Monday, Trump said that he was extending it until the end of the week to give negotiations a chance. He told reporters that overnight talks between the US And Iran have reached, quote, almost all points of agreement. Oil prices plunged and markets rallied following Trump's announcement.

[Donald Trump]

They want very much to make a deal. We'd like to make a deal, too. We're doing a five day period. We'll see how that goes. And if it goes well, we're going to end up with settling this. Otherwise, we'll just keep bombing our little hearts out.

[Deborah Pardes]

Beyond opening the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will be expected to end all nuclear enrichment and give up its stockpile of near weapons grade uranium. In addition, Trump said he wants Iran to keep its ballistic arsenal, quote, low key. With regard to dismantling Iran's proxy network. It's still not clear how much emphasis the US Is placing on that. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly asked his longtime confidant, Ron Dermer to connect with the Trump administration. He wants Dermer to make sure any potential deal takes Israel's interests into account. This raises the question, who are the Americans talking with on the Iranian side? Trump said his envoys are in contact with the, quote, most respected Iranian leader running the country right now. He added that that person is not the young Supreme Leader, Majdaba Khamenei, who hasn't been seen in public since his election last week. According to reports, Trump's new contact is the speaker of Iran's Parliament, Mohammed Galiboff. But Golubov called Trump's claims of negotiations, quote, fake news and took a hard line on ending the war. He said in a statement, quote, iranian people demand complete and remorseful punishment of the aggressors. Iran's original demands for ending the war included guarantees that the conflict will not resume at a later stage and that the regime will be compensated for the damage caused on Monday, Iran reportedly made two new demands. First, that the Strait of Hormuz effectively remain under the regime's control. And second, that the US Close its military bases in the Gulf. These demands were added following Trump's announcement of the new round of talks.

[Donald Trump]

We're dealing with some people that I find to be very reasonable, very solid, they're very respected, and maybe one of them will be exactly what we're looking for.

[Deborah Pardes]

Trump's comments on Monday indicated that he's prepared to end the war without toppling the Iranian regime. Trump pointed to Venezuela as a model for future relations with Iran. A US Military raid in January removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power. The Trump administration then reached an arrangement with Maduro's deputy, Delsey Rodriguez, to run the country and control its oil.

[Donald Trump]

Look at Venezuela, how well that's working. We are doing so well in Venezuela with oil and with the relationship between the president elect and us.

[Deborah Pardes]

Trump had previously urged the Iranian people to overthrow their leaders, but he is now claiming that the war has already achieved regime change of sorts because it decapitated old leadership. In recent days, Israeli officials were already downplaying the prospect of regime change in Iran. In a press conference last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to hedge his bets.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

Yes, the regime could change. Is it guaranteed? No. And is it up to the Iranian people in the final accounting to make use of the conditions that we're doing in weakening this regime?

[Deborah Pardes]

A New York Times report on Sunday depicted Netanyahu as privately frustrated with the Mossad's seeming failure to foment a rebellion inside Iran. The report was largely based on unnamed sources in Israel and the US State Department. Israel's ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, sounded more optimistic in a Sunday appearance on cnn. I think that we need boots on the ground, but they've got to be Iranian boots, and I think they're coming. As recently as Monday night, the Mossad was still publicly pushing for regime change. In multiple Farsi language social media posts, the security agency called on Iranians to join the fight against the regime and build a new Iran. Global sentiment against Israel and the war remains high, and Jewish communities outside of Israel have increasingly come under attack. In London, four ambulances were set ablaze outside a synagogue on Monday. CCTV footage showed three hooded figures pouring gasoline on the vehicles and setting them on fire. The ambulances belonged to Hatzala, a Jewish volunteer organization that responds to medical emergencies. The fire ignited oxygen tanks, which exploded and smashed windows in nearby residential buildings. Ashab Al Yamin, a terror group with ties to Iran claim responsibility for the attack on social media. The group also claimed to be behind a series of recent explosions and arsons targeting Jewish sites in other European countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the recent attack in London.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

Anti Semitism has no place in our society and it's really important that we all stand together at a moment like this.

[Deborah Pardes]

Police said that they were searching for suspects and treating the attack as an anti Semitic hate crime, but they emphasized it was not being investigated as an act of terrorism. Members of the local Jewish community have expressed anger at British authorities for failing to stem the rise of anti Jewish and anti Israel hate. Some in the area told CBS News that they are worried for their safety and are considering leaving.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

And I hope all the Jews do leave because there is no protection here in terms of what's going on online and all the hate towards Jewish communities. Why would you want to live in fear?

[Deborah Pardes]

Debra I'm Deborah Pardes and this is ARC News Daily. Arc news daily is written by andrew tobin. Arc media's executive producer is adam james levin eridy. Our production manager is brittany cohen. Sound and video editing is by liquid audio. Music is by yuval simo. Our community manager is ava weiner. See you tomorrow.