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Key developments
• Latest from Washington: President Donald Trump says the US and Iran remain in talks and that he believes Tehran is “getting more serious.” Earlier Friday, he met with top advisers and Cabinet officials to discuss a potential escalation if negotiations are not fruitful, a source told CNN.
• Days of renewed strikes: A US bombing campaign against Iran has continued for 13 consecutive nights after their ceasefire agreement crumbled earlier this month. Trump has said Washington’s exit strategy for the conflict could come either diplomatically or militarily.
• Tensions at sea: The US military says it disabled a tanker that tried to bypass its blockade on Iranian ports. And Saudi Arabia said it launched strikes against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels after the militant group attacked another Saudi vessel in the Red Sea.
After striking Iran for 13 consecutive nights, no updates from CENTCOM tonight
US Central Command did not announce it was launching strikes on Iran on Friday, after pummeling the country daily for almost two weeks.
For the past 13 nights, CENTCOM has posted on X it was carrying out strikes on military targets in Iran. There was no such announcement in the hours of Friday Eastern Time. CENTCOM is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, which runs on Eastern Time.
It is not clear if that was because CENTCOM did not take military action against Iran on Friday.
CNN has reached out to CENTCOM for comment.
Trump weighs in on Iran war: "It's all going extremely well"
President Donald Trump made a stark pivot from making jokes to touching on the war in Iran during remarks at the White House Correspondents’ dinner on Friday.
“It’s all going extremely well. Don’t believe the fake news,” Trump said about the status of the war.
He went on to say that the US has “hit Iran very hard” and that it no longer has Navy and Air Force capabilities.
“They have very few drones left, despite what you see,” he said.
Trump also added that he thinks Iran would “love to make a deal” but that he doesn’t “think they’re ready to.”
“I don’t think it’s time yet, but I’m willing to listen,” the president said.
Netanyahu to visit US next week, Trump says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the US next week, President Donald Trump confirmed in his speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Friday.
The Israeli leader’s office earlier said in a statement Netanyahu will meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
Netanyahu’s office said the visit comes at the invitation of Trump. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.
Netanyahu’s seventh visit to the US to meet Trump comes after two weeks of daily American strikes on Iran and Trump threatening to strike bridges and power plants for every vessel Iran attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
Netanyahu has long been skeptical of Iran’s intentions behind nuclear negotiations and has favored renewed strikes on Iran.
During his visit to the US, Netanyahu will also attend the funeral of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, whom Netanyahu has called “one of [Israel’s] greatest friends.”
This post has been updated with additional information.
Saudi Arabia warns of "potential danger" at major port
Saudi Arabia warned of “potential danger” in the Yanbu area, home to a major Red Sea port capable of shipping millions of barrels of oil daily.
The Saudi Civil Defense issued instructions for people to take shelter early Saturday local time on X.
Several minutes later, it appeared to rescind the notice and said “the danger has passed” but advised people to avoid gathering or filming.
The warnings did not specify the nature or source of the potential danger.
US military disables tanker after crew attempted to get through blockade, official says
US forces disabled a tanker in the Gulf of Oman today after the crew attempted to get through the US naval blockade at least four times prior, a US military official told CNN.
The crew was repeatedly warned but didn’t comply, and US forces on scene disabled the ship after firing into its engine room, the official said. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran.
This marks the second time US forces have disabled a commercial ship since the US reimposed its blockade earlier this month. US Central Command previously said it has redirected 12 commercial vessels since resuming the blockade.
Saudi Arabia strikes Houthi targets in Yemen after vessel was attacked in Red Sea
Saudi Arabia carried out strikes against what it said were Houthi targets in Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah after a Saudi vessel was attacked in the Red Sea on Friday.
In a statement, Saudi Arabia’s Coalition Joint Forces Command described the strikes as a “proportionate military response.”
The coalition spokesperson, Staff Major General Turki al-Malki, called the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea a “cowardly and reckless act.”
Al-Malki said that the port at Hodeidah was not targeted in the strikes.
Earlier, the Houthi-affiliated al-Masirah television reported that a worker at a telecommunications building in Hodeidah was injured in the Saudi strike.
What Trump said about the state of the war and negotiations with Iran
President Donald Trump spoke to reporters at the White House this afternoon, providing some insight into his view of the war with Iran and developments in the region.
Here are the key lines you need to know:
• The US is actively negotiating with Iran, Trump stressed, though he added that it’s possible the military continues its bombing campaign or escalates it. The president claimed “there’s a lot of” exit strategies still available.
• Those comments came after Trump met with top advisers and Cabinet officials Friday to discuss a potential escalation of the war, according to a source familiar with the matter.
• Iran seems to be getting “more serious” in ongoing talks, the president said. “I think they are being by far the most serious that we’ve seen. But that doesn’t mean we get there.”
• Meanwhile on the US-Saudi nuclear deal, Trump said Friday that he and his energy secretary hadn’t discussed it when asked if he’d authorized Chris Wright to sign the pact. Trump upended the long-negotiated deal after being blindsided by the Energy Department’s announcement this week, a source familiar with the matter told CNN on Thursday.
CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Logan Schiciano, Alejandra Jaramillo and Adam Cancryn contributed to the report.
Trump says he and Wright "didn't talk" about signing of Saudi nuclear deal
President Donald Trump said Friday that he and his energy secretary hadn’t discussed the US-Saudi nuclear deal when asked if he’d authorized Chris Wright to sign it.
“We didn’t talk about it, but it was always understood — and Chris knew and Saudi Arabia knew — that if they didn’t join the Abraham Accords… I’m not going to do the deal,” Trump told reporters as his energy secretary stood behind him in the Oval Office.
CNN reported Thursday night that Trump upended the long-negotiated nuclear pact with Saudi Arabia after being blindsided by the Energy Department’s announcement of the agreement on Wednesday, and as criticism grew from conservative allies about the original terms of the deal.
Earlier in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump quickly changed the topic when asked if his energy secretary had jumped the gun on announcing the deal.
“No, nobody got out ahead,” he said. “I just say that in order to do it, they have to be a member of the Abraham Accords, which has been very successful.”
The morning after the deal’s announcement, Trump added the requirement that Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords as a way of normalizing relations with Israel, surprising his own nuclear negotiators.
“They and others didn’t want to do it because of the problem that they had with Iran,” Trump said Friday of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations. “You don’t have that problem anymore, you don’t have a great power there anymore.”
The president added that the condition was “very important for the future of the Middle East.”
“At some point, they’ll join,” Trump said.
Saudi vessel sustains minor damage in Red Sea attack
A Saudi vessel sustained minor damage to its hull after an attack in the Red Sea on Friday, the official press agency of Saudi Arabia reported, citing the kingdom’s transport authority.
The crew’s safety was confirmed and the vessel continued to its destination, the agency reported.
Soon after the attack was reported, Houthi affiliate al-Masirah TV said that Saudi airstrikes hit the major port city of Hodeidah in Yemen. A worker at a telecommunications building in Hodeidah was injured in the strikes, al-Masirah reported.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have previously announced a blockade of Saudi shipping in the Red Sea.
Trump says Iran exit strategy could be military or diplomatic as talks continue
President Donald Trump said Friday his administration’s exit strategy from the Iran war could come through continued military action or a diplomatic deal.
“I think there’s a lot of them,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked what his exit strategy is.
“There’s a military exit where we just keep going just the way we are, and we can even make it a heavier dose, and it’s knocking out everything,” he said.
“Or there’s a smarter strategy, and that’s you make a deal, and they want to make a deal. I just don’t think they’re ready yet, but they do want to make a deal.”
The president said negotiations with Tehran are ongoing after the 13th consecutive night of US strikes.
“We could do it in a more rapid fashion, which we might do, or we can negotiate with them, which we’re also doing right now,” Trump said, adding, “we’re talking to them.”
Trump says Iran is getting "more serious" in talks
President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US and Iran are talking and that he believes Tehran is getting “more serious.”
“We are talking to them. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason, but we are talking to them right now,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“I think they are being by far the most serious that we’ve seen. But that doesn’t mean we get there,” he added.
When asked who from the US side was engaged in discussions with the Iranians, the president said “sorta everybody,” while adding that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are involved.
The president said that he’s not in a hurry to reach a deal before the November midterms.
“We have to do it right,” Trump said.
Trump met with advisers to discuss possible escalation in Iran, source says
President Donald Trump met with top advisers and Cabinet officials at the White House Friday to discuss a potential escalation in Iran, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trump stressed that US officials were actively negotiating with Iran, though he also said it was possible the military could continue its bombing campaign or “make it a heavier dose.” He said Iran seemed to be getting “more serious” in ongoing talks.
“So I think while we’re talking, we’ll see what comes,” Trump said.
Here’s a snapshot of the latest developments in the war with Iran
If you’re just tuning in, the war with Iran has been impacting US allies in the Middle East, oil markets and other areas.
Here’s what to know:
• Global oil prices have dipped back below $100 a barrel after reaching the century mark this week for the first time in two months.
• Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels targeted Saudi tankers in the Red Sea this week, introducing further uncertainty for global oil shipping already hampered by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Average gas prices in the United States remain well over $4 a gallon. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said today he is “deeply alarmed” about Houthi attacks on commercial vessels and called for de-escalation.
• US allies Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan said they intercepted Iranian attacks on Friday.
• The Pentagon’s tracker on war casualties remains incorrect nearly a day after the totals for US service member deaths and injuries in the war were reduced in what Defense Department officials called a “data disruption.” Four deaths and dozens of injuries disappeared from the totals on Thursday after the Defense Casualty Analysis System website had correctly listed the total number of US troops killed in the war at 18 earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, in diplomatic news:
• US President Donald Trump said he does not believe China or Russia are providing weapons to Iran, citing assurances he says he received from the countries’ leaders.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday, the Israeli leader’s office said in a statement.
CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo, Ibrahim Dahman, Aida Karimi, Billy Stockwell, Sana Noor Haq, Billy stockwell, Tal Shalev, Davis Winkie and Aleena Fayaz contributed to the report.
Where US gas prices stand today after a volatile week for oil shipping
Global oil prices have dipped back below $100 a barrel after reaching the century mark this week for the first time in two months.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels targeted Saudi tankers in the Red Sea this week, introducing further uncertainty for global oil shipping already hampered by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Average gas prices in the United States remain well over $4 a gallon:
Trump says he trusts China and Russia aren't arming Iran
President Donald Trump said Friday that he does not believe China or Russia are providing weapons to Iran, citing assurances he says he received from both countries’ leaders.
“President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran — And that statement included Chinese Companies,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Considering our relationship, I take him at his word and, besides, l am doing him very big favors, also,” Trump added.
Trump also said Russian President Vladimir Putin told him Moscow would not sell weapons to Iran.
“Therefore, two major Countries that people speak of often in terms of Iran are, in my opinion, not participating,” Trump wrote. “If they did, it would be very bad for them — Certainly not in their best interests.”
Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate hearing that China and Russia are “at different levels” enabling some of Iran’s activity during the war.
“[T]here are many ways that we deter that … and the depth and extent of it ought to remain classified,” Hegseth said before the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“But there are ways in which both of those countries are … at different levels, enabling some of the things Iran is doing,” he said.
Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan down Iranian salvo after Tehran claims attacks on US positions
Two waves of sirens rang through Bahrain on Friday, just as Iran claimed responsibility for targeted strikes on US assets in several Arab countries.
The Bahraini Ministry of Interior called on residents to “remain calm” after alarms were activated at 12:47 a.m. ET and again at 3:47 a.m. ET, in posts on X, before the defense ministry said forces “intercepted and destroyed” Iranian airstrikes.
Further north, the Jordanian military downed seven missiles and six drones from Iran on Friday, according to Jordan’s Armed Forces.
In Kuwait, air defenses were “intercepting hostile targets” from Iran, the Kuwaiti army said at Friday evening local time.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted “three ammunition and equipment storage” facilities at Kuwait’s Al-Adairi Base, according to the semi-official agency Tasnim. The IRGC also targeted the control tower of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, Tasnim said.
Earlier on Friday, Tehran aimed drones at Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Air Base and Jordan’s Al-Azraq Air Base, according to Iran’s Press TV.
CNN cannot independently verify the claims.
Tehran has intensified attacks on US-allied nations in the region after Washington unleashed a fresh assault on Iran in mid-July. Several of those countries under Iranian fire, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, house US military bases.
At least four US service members have been killed in the most recent wave of Iranian attacks over the past week, according to the Pentagon. Three of those were killed in Jordan, and one was killed in a controlled Iranian drone detonation in Iraq.
Iran’s latest salvo has also prompted travel restrictions and stark warnings from foreign consulates. Just on Thursday, the UK Foreign Office issued travel guidance advising against “all but essential travel” for Kuwait and Bahrain.
CNN’s Aleena Fayaz, Lex Harvey, Kareem El Damanhoury and Eyad Kourdi contributed reporting.
This post has been updated with the latest information.
UN chief says he is "deeply alarmed" over Houthi Red Sea attacks
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said today he is “deeply alarmed” about recent Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and called for de-escalation, as the Iran war expands to new fronts.
Guterres called for “immediate de-escalation” and urged the Houthis, one of Iran’s principal allies in the region, to refrain from further attacks or “other escalatory actions.”
Earlier this week, the Houthi group in Yemen – which has long warned it could take action to block the critical Bab al-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea – declared a maritime blockade on Saudi shipping, an escalation that could further threaten global oil supplies.
Iran slams reports of rejected ceasefire and mounts attacks on US-allied nations. Catch up
Iran spurned media reports that officials rejected an Iraqi-presented US ceasefire proposal this week, instead laying blame on the Trump administration for the latest uptick in regional violence.
Officials condemned Washington’s “breach of its promises” as stated in the memorandum of understanding — which laid out a pathway to long-term peace — and criticized a “misleading” New York Times article that detailed Tehran’s rejection of a temporary deal. Baghdad also rebuffed the story on Friday.
Neither US nor Iranian officials have verbally signaled a return to diplomacy, even as the human cost of lethal attacks in the past month has spiraled. In Iran, 59 people have been killed and 666 others injured since June 27, according to Hossein Kermanpour, a spokesperson for the country’s health ministry.
At least four US service members have been killed in the most recent wave of Iranian strikes, according to the Pentagon.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Iranian strikes hit Gulf countries: Bahrain’s military intercepted a number of “Iranian aerial attacks” on Friday, the country’s Defense Forces posted on X. Late on Thursday, Kuwaiti air defenses also intercepted Iranian strikes, Kuwait’s army said.
- US strike targeted IRGC headquarters, Iran says: A missile attack partly damaged a key facility for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the northern Gilan province, Iran’s state media IRNA said Friday. CNN cannot independently verify the report. US Central Command said it targeted “Iranian military command centers” late Thursday.
- Boats carrying Saudi oil sail through Red Sea: Two oil tankers transporting about 4 million barrels worth of Saudi crude were crossing the Gulf of Aden as of Friday afternoon local time, according to MarineTraffic tracking data. It comes as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels declared a maritime blockade on Saudi shipping this week and claimed to have attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea yesterday.
- Tehran’s oil revenue peaked this year: For the first four months of the Iranian calendar — from late March onwards — officials recorded an additional $2.5 billion in oil revenue compared to 2025, Iran’s semi-official Fars news said Friday, after the US temporarily lifted crippling sanctions.
CNN’s Aida Karimi, Ibrahim Dahman, Billy Stockwell, Aqeel Najim and Lex Harvey contributed reporting.
US disputes report that Iran has rejected a ceasefire proposal
A US official disputed a report indicating that Iran had rejected a new ceasefire proposal, telling CNN that the account was “not accurate.”
The New York Times reported yesterday that Iran rejected a ceasefire proposal from President Donald Trump conveyed to Tehran via Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who recently met with Trump in Washington.
The substance of that plan was not clear, but Iran, the report said, was not interested in a temporary deal that did not resolve outstanding questions around control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media also on Friday characterized the report as “diversionary and misleading,” while the Iraqi prime minister’s office disputed the report as “unfounded.”
US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack amplified Iraq’s post on social media, adding, “Iraq getting the record straight.”
