This review provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying salt tolerance in wheat, emphasizing the physiological and genetic responses to salt stress. Salt stress significantly impacts wheat growth and yield, making it a critical issue for global food security. Wheat, a staple crop, is vulnerable to salt stress, which reduces seed, spike, and grain yield. Understanding the physiological and molecular changes in wheat under salt stress is essential for developing strategies to improve salt tolerance. The review summarizes the genes and molecular mechanisms involved in ion transport, signal transduction, and enzyme and hormone regulation in response to salt stress. It also discusses recent advances in improving wheat salt tolerance through breeding, exogenous applications, and microbial pathways. Breeding efficiency can be enhanced through gene editing and multi-omics approaches, which are fundamental strategies for addressing salt stress. Challenges and future prospects in this area are also discussed. Key factors include ion balance regulation, osmotic balance, reactive oxygen species (ROS) clearance, and the role of Ca²⁺-ROS signaling. The review highlights the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance in wheat to develop effective breeding strategies and improve wheat resilience to salinity. The study also explores the roles of various enzymes, transcription factors, and hormones in regulating salt tolerance. Overall, the review provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of wheat salt tolerance and offers insights into potential strategies for enhancing salt tolerance in wheat.This review provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying salt tolerance in wheat, emphasizing the physiological and genetic responses to salt stress. Salt stress significantly impacts wheat growth and yield, making it a critical issue for global food security. Wheat, a staple crop, is vulnerable to salt stress, which reduces seed, spike, and grain yield. Understanding the physiological and molecular changes in wheat under salt stress is essential for developing strategies to improve salt tolerance. The review summarizes the genes and molecular mechanisms involved in ion transport, signal transduction, and enzyme and hormone regulation in response to salt stress. It also discusses recent advances in improving wheat salt tolerance through breeding, exogenous applications, and microbial pathways. Breeding efficiency can be enhanced through gene editing and multi-omics approaches, which are fundamental strategies for addressing salt stress. Challenges and future prospects in this area are also discussed. Key factors include ion balance regulation, osmotic balance, reactive oxygen species (ROS) clearance, and the role of Ca²⁺-ROS signaling. The review highlights the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance in wheat to develop effective breeding strategies and improve wheat resilience to salinity. The study also explores the roles of various enzymes, transcription factors, and hormones in regulating salt tolerance. Overall, the review provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of wheat salt tolerance and offers insights into potential strategies for enhancing salt tolerance in wheat.