PANews reported on March 23 that Iranian media outlets, including Tasnim News Agency, reported today (March 23) that Iran denied that Iranian Parliament Speaker Qassem Ghalibaf was involved in negotiations with the United States. Earlier, according to a report by a reporter from the US news website Axios via social media, US Presidential Envoy Witkov and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were "negotiating with Ghalibaf." Israeli media also reported that later this week, senior Iranian and US officials will hold talks in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The US representative is reportedly "possibly Vice President Vance."

The Iranian parliament speaker made strong remarks over the weekend, stating that if Iran's power plants and infrastructure were attacked, critical infrastructure, energy facilities, and oil facilities throughout the region would be considered legitimate targets and suffer irreversible destruction. He predicted that international oil prices would remain high for a prolonged period. Regarding the lifting of oil sanctions, he responded: "The US lifting sanctions on Iranian oil currently stranded at sea? Sorry—we've sold out."