The U.S. and Iran can't even agree on whether they're talking

NPR | By Aya Batrawy,

Tom Bowman

Published March 26, 2026 at 5:09 PM EDT

President Trump says Iran is "begging" for a deal. Iran says it has no intention of negotiating. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with NPR's Tom Bowman and Aya Batrawy about prospects for an off-ramp.

Aya Batrawy

Aya Batraway is an NPR International Correspondent based in Dubai. She joined in 2022 from the Associated Press, where she was an editor and reporter for over 11 years.

Tom Bowman

Tom Bowman is a NPR National Desk reporter covering the Pentagon.

See stories by Tom Bowman

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