Here's the latest
• Strait of Hormuz: President Donald Trump announced the US will begin guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday. US Central Command said military support will include guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members, though a US official said the initiative is not an escort mission. Top Iranian official Ebrahim Azizi warned the plan is a violation of the ceasefire.
• Tanker struck: A vessel was reportedly hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said. All crew were reported safe.
• State of negotiations: Trump said his representatives “are having very positive discussions” with Iran. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said Iran is reviewing the US reply to Tehran’s latest peace proposal.
• Gas prices: The average cost of gas in the US has soared to $4.45 a gallon — a rise of nearly 50% since the beginning of the war.
Expert says US plan for strait likely designed to make commercial ships "feel safe"
The US plan to “guide” ships through the Strait of Hormuz leaves a lot of unanswered questions about how it would work just hours before President Donald Trump said it will go into effect.
US Central Command said in a statement on X that its support for the operations “will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms.”
How they figure into the ship movement is not defined.
Jennifer Parker, a nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute and a former Royal Australian Navy officer, told CNN Monday that she expects the US military to increase its presence in and over the strait to provide reassurance to commercial vessels attempting to transit it.
“This appears to be an operation … which is less about providing direct protection to a vessel or a couple of vessels and more about trying to change the situation in the strait” so ships “feel safe,” Parker said.
That could include a few US Navy ships in the strait and a range of aircraft flying over it that could spot and take out any small boats or ships trying to attack commercial vessels, she said.
Tanker struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz, says maritime agency
A vessel was reportedly hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said on Monday.
A map from the maritime authority showed the stuck vessel was located just off the northern tip of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula.
The strike was reported Sunday, before President Donald Trump’s announcement that US Central Command forces would begin guiding ships through the strait.
“All crew reported safe. No environmental impact reported. Authorities are investigating,” the UKMTO said on X.
Vessels are advised to transit with caution, it added.
Senior Iranian official warns US plan to guide ships through strait violates ceasefire
A senior Iranian official, Ebrahim Azizi, has warned that any US interference in the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire, after US President Donald Trump announced that the US will begin guiding ships through the waterway.
“Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire,” Azizi said on X.
Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, said: “The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be managed by Trump’s delusional posts!”
His comments mark a sharp warning from Tehran over any American role in freeing vessels and sailors trapped in the strategically vital waterway, where a prolonged blockade has disrupted shipping and left thousands of seafarers stuck aboard vessels.
US military to begin effort to "restore freedom of navigation" in Strait of Hormuz
US Central Command forces will begin supporting President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom” to “restore freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, the military announced, in an effort a US official said is not an escort mission.
The mission, beginning Monday, “will support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor,” CENTCOM said in a statement Sunday evening.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
US military support for the effort will include guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, and 15,000 service members, the statement said.
A US official told CNN that “Project Freedom” is not an escort mission.
The CENTCOM statement said an initiative announced last week by the State Department, the Maritime Freedom Construct, “will be critical during Project Freedom.” The initiative aims to aid information sharing in support of security in the key strait and combines “diplomatic action with military coordination.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham touts Trump's plan to free ships stuck in Strait of Hormuz
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that that he agreed with President Donald Trump’s plan for the United States to help free ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, insisting that Iran is “playing games through negotiations.”
“Again, I hope this conflict can end diplomatically, but it is now time to regain freedom of navigation and forcefully respond to Iran if they insist on terrorizing the world,” the South Carolina lawmaker said on social media.
Trump announced the move, dubbed “Project Freedom,” earlier Sunday on Truth Social, describing it as a “humanitarian gesture” and warning that any interference will “have to be dealt with forcefully.”
Thousands of sailors have been left stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. Hear from one of them
The Strait of Hormuz has been shut since the start of the Iran war. Around 20,000 seafarers are stuck waiting to pass through. CNN's Isobel Yeung spoke to one of the captains stuck on a cargo ship.
CNN has reported that about 20,000 seafarers have been stranded in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the International Chamber of Shipping. Captain Istique Alam mans an Emirati oil tanker that has been stuck off the coast of Oman for over two months, alongside dozens of other vessels.
“Ceasefire [is] not for seafarers,” Alam told CNN’s Isobel Yeung. “Ceasefire is for normal people.”
Iranian official says over 12,000 of 60,500 war-damaged residential buildings restored
More than 12,000 residential buildings damaged during the US-Israeli war with Iran have been repaired, the head of Iran’s Basij Construction Organization said Sunday, according to Iranian official media.
Brigadier General Mohammad Zahraei said around 46,000 housing units in Tehran, 12,300 in Isfahan and 2,200 in Qom were damaged — a total of about 60,500 units.
Zahraei said over 12,000 have so far been restored with the participation of volunteer groups.
US intends to escort ships out of strait as Trump says "positive discussions" are ongoing
President Donald Trump said today that his representatives “are having very positive discussions” with Iran as the two countries trade peace proposals.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN earlier that “we’re in conversation” when asked about the state of discussions with Iran.
The latest comments come after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that the US has responded to Iran’s proposal via Pakistan and that Tehran is reviewing Washington’s reply.
Here are other key developments from today:
- Trump said the US will begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday in an effort he dubbed “Project Freedom.”
- The average price of a gallon of US regular gas is up nearly 50% since the start of the Iran war on February 28.
- A bulk carrier sailing near the coast of Iran has reported being “attacked by multiple small craft,” according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
- More than 2,600 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said in an update, despite a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that has been in place for more than two weeks.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz downplayed any connection between the US announcing the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany and friction with Trump over the war with Iran.
- Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he highlighted that Berlin and Washington share the “same goal” in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart.
- The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee pushed back on US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s claim last week that the ongoing ceasefire in the Iran war constituted a “pause” in the 60-day period in which the president is constitutionally allowed to use force abroad without congressional authorization.
CNN’s Aileen Graef, Catherine Nicholls, Charbel Mallo, Alison Main, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Betsy Klein, Robert Ilich, Max Saltman and Isabelle D’Antonio contributed to this report.
What to know about the Strait of Hormuz
As President Donald Trump said the US will begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz tomorrow, read up on more about the key chokepoint.
A narrow waterway that bypasses Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz is the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
The strait has remained a crucial factor since the start of the conflict after it was effectively closed by Tehran. In recent days, it has seen just a handful of crossings, according to Kpler and other shipping data sources.
Iran controls the strait’s northern side. About 20 million barrels of oil, or about one-fifth of daily global production, used to flow through the strait every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which calls the channel a “critical oil chokepoint.” According to the EIA, “very few alternative options exist to move oil out of the strait if it is closed.”
The strait also carries about one-fifth of global trade in liquefied natural gas.
Yesterday, Iranian state media reported that Iran’s parliament is set to approve a law that would place restrictions on which vessels are allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
This post has been updated with reporting about US plans to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
High gas prices fuel drivers' financial concerns
New York City drivers are voicing their frustrations with rising gas prices, telling CNN the war in Iran has led to pain at the pump.
“Us getting involved in a stupid war, I think that’s had, obviously, a direct effect on the cost of everything here,” Jeff Olson told CNN. “We’re only putting small amounts of gas in at a time in the hopes that the prices are going to come down again soon.”
On Sunday, national average gas prices jumped to $4.45 a gallon, up by nearly 50% since the war started.
Trump says US is having "very positive discussions" with Iran
President Donald Trump said Sunday that his representatives “are having very positive discussions” with Iran as the two countries trade peace proposals.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN earlier in the day that “we’re in conversation” when asked about the state of discussions with Iran.
Trump’s comments mark a change from remarks he made Saturday on Truth Social in which he said he “can’t imagine” the latest proposal from Iran “would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity.”
Trump says US to begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump said the US will begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday in an effort he dubbed “Project Freedom.”
Trump said Sunday that “Countries from all over the World, almost all of which are not involved in the Middle Eastern dispute” have asked the US to free up ships “locked up” in the key strait.
Trump said the ships are from areas that are “not in any way involved” in the Middle East conflict.
“This is a Humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran,” he wrote.
He added that if the process is interfered with, that interference will “have to be dealt with forcefully.”
CNN is reaching out to the White House and US Central Command for more details.
The move comes as the economic impacts of the strait’s closure continue to mount with gas prices in the US now reaching an average of $4.45.
Germany's Merz says there’s been talk of US troop withdrawal “for quite some time”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz downplayed any connection between the US announcing the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany and friction with US President Donald Trump over the war with Iran.
Merz added that “not everything we’ve been hearing over the last few days is actually new.”
“It may be being exaggerated a bit, but it’s nothing new,” he said.
His comments follow similar remarks from German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who called the drawdown “foreseeable.”
Merz told German public broadcaster ARD that the US remains a vital partner for Germany and NATO, and that while he and Trump have “a different view of this war,” they share a view of Iran.
“We have a common aim, and that aim must be: Iran must not be allowed to acquire the atomic bomb,” Merz said. “And that is what we are working together to achieve.”
Read some of CNN’s analysis on the troop withdrawal here.
US gas prices are up nearly 50% since the start of the Iran war
The average price of a gallon of US regular gas now stands at $4.45 a gallon, according to AAA data.
Gas prices have increased by 35 cents from a week ago and $1.47 since the start of the war in Iran on February 28.
This is a 49.3% increase since the start of the conflict.
Witkoff tells CNN that US is "in conversation" with Iran
Special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN exclusively on Sunday that the US is “in conversation” with Iran as they weigh negotiations to end the war.
Witkoff, who has been a key negotiator on behalf of the US, joined President Donald Trump at the president’s Doral golf club for the PGA Cadillac Championship. He was seen emerging from Trump’s viewing stand at the golf tournament as a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign minister said that the US had responded to its latest proposal and that Iran was reviewing that response.
CNN’s Peter Morris asked Witkoff for an update on the state of discussions.
“We’re in conversation,” he said.
Talks appeared to have intensified after a relative stalemate, but the president has not projected optimism, posting on social media Saturday that he “can’t imagine” the latest proposal from Iran “would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity.”
US troop cuts in Germany amid Iran war could strain Europe ties, analysts say
The Pentagon said Friday the US will withdraw roughly 5,000 troops from Germany over the next year — a move President Donald Trump said is just the beginning. The decision comes after Trump lashed out at the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his criticism of the US war with Iran.
Analysts told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria the cuts could put more strain on US-Europe relations:
Iran FM spokesperson says US has responded to Tehran's proposal and reply is under review
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the United States has responded to Iran’s proposal via Pakistan and that Tehran is reviewing Washington’s reply.
Speaking live on state television on Sunday, Baghaei said Iran’s “14-point proposal” does not include the nuclear issue.
“Our 14-point plan exclusively focuses on ending the war and contains no issues related to the nuclear domain,” Baghaei said.
“At this stage, our focus is on the specifics of ending the war in the region, including Lebanon,” he added.
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.
Baghaei also said “the claim of mine-clearing in the Strait of Hormuz by the US is fundamentally not part of our plan.”
Vessel reports attack off coast of Iran, maritime agency says
A bulk carrier sailing near the coast of Iran has reported being “attacked by multiple small craft,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported a short while ago.
The incident was reported around 11:30 a.m. UTC (7:30 a.m. ET) this morning, the UKMTO said in its warning, adding that it took place about 11 nautical miles west of Sirik, Iran.
The crew of the vessel were reported safe and no environmental impact of the attack was reported, the UKMTO said.
The UKMTO did not state which country the vessel is registered with.
Top Senate Armed Services Committee Democrat says Trump exceeded his authorities in Iran
The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee pushed back on US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s claim last week that the ongoing ceasefire in the Iran war constituted a “pause” in the 60-day period in which the president is constitutionally allowed to use force abroad without congressional authorization.
Reed noted that under the War Powers Act of 1973, the 60-day deadline can be extended an additional 30 days if the administration argues its necessary to safely withdraw, though, Reed said, “that has to be requested by the president.”
“We have to be notified. No such notifications come through. The president’s ignoring the law,” he said.
Trump sent a letter to congressional leaders on Friday insisting that the hostilities in the war had “terminated” at the start of the ceasefire, echoing arguments he and his top officials have made.
Reed said while he disagreed with former President George W.
Bush’s choice to invade Iraq, his administration came to Congress and provided “the opportunity to opine and decide and gave him legitimacy that this president lacks.”
Over 2,600 killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2, Health Ministry says
At least 2,679 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said in an update today, despite a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that has been in place for more than two weeks.
When the ceasefire went into effect at midnight on April 17, the number of people killed by Israeli strikes on the country was 2,294, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. At least 385 people have been killed by Israeli attacks since then, according to the Health Ministry’s figures.
Earlier today, the Israeli military issued an urgent evacuation warning for multiple towns in southern Lebanon, including several north of the Litani River.
Some background: The river, just a few kilometers from Israel’s northern border, is a crucial site in the longstanding conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah had maintained a robust presence of fighters south of the river for decades, but under a previous ceasefire deal with Israel, agreed to pull back its forces north of the waterway. During the current ceasefire, Israel has kept its forces deployed in southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has also continued to strike what it has said are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon during the current truce, as Hezbollah countered that it is attacking Israeli forces in response to the IDF’s continued attacks.
CNN’s Eugenia Yosef, Eyad Kourdi, Max Saltman and Lex Harvey contributed to this reporting.
Correction: A version of this post misstated the parties to the ceasefire. It is between Israel and Lebanon.
