Here's the latest
• Attacks on energy sites: US President Donald Trump says he told Israel to halt attacks on Iranian energy resources, as Tehran retaliates with strikes on infrastructure in Israel, Qatar and elsewhere in the Middle East. Sources tell CNN the US was aware of Israel’s plan to strike Iran’s South Pars field yesterday, despite Trump stating otherwise.
• Prices spike: The global oil benchmark hit $115 a barrel today. As prices soar, the US could “unsanction” some Iranian oil and may release more from its strategic reserve.
• US aircraft hit: An F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, sources told CNN. US Central Command said the pilot is in stable condition.
• Intel hearing: US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told lawmakers that Tehran “maintained the intention” to rebuild nuclear enrichment. She also testified that US and Israeli objectives for the war “are different.”
White House rules out imposing oil export ban
The White House has ruled out imposing a ban on crude oil and gas exports, as it seeks ways to ease surging energy prices triggered by its war with Iran, an administration official told CNN.
The prospect of limiting exports had faced furious opposition from US energy executives, who have long argued that it would cut off key supply lines to foreign allies and throw the global oil markets into chaos.
Vice President JD Vance and Energy Secretary Chris Wright met earlier today with top oil company executives.
Trump administration officials had initially weighed a ban as one of a range of ideas aimed at alleviating a spike in oil prices that has translated into significantly higher prices for US gasoline.
But the administration has since sought other options, including potentially lifting certain sanctions on Iranian oil at sea and releasing more oil from the US’ strategic reserve.
More background: US crude oil exports were effectively banned from 1975 through 2015, until the nation’s oil boom lifted the ban and allowed exports.
Opponents of reimposing a ban have pointed to studies that concluded US exports helped increase domestic oil production, and that the increased availability of oil helped to lower oil prices on global markets, and subsequently gasoline prices both in the US and overseas.
Trump calls $200 billion Pentagon funding request a "small price to pay" amid Iran war
President Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed that he may seek $200 billion in new Pentagon funding, calling it a “small price to pay” to ensure the military has all it needs to wage war with Iran, but noted that request would include more than just what’s needed for the Iran war.
“We want to be in the best shape, the best shape we’ve ever been in,” he said from the Oval Office. “It’s a small price to pay to make sure that we stay tippy top.”
Trump did not offer specifics on what the Pentagon needed the funding for, saying only that he wants to ensure the military has “vast amounts of ammunition.” Even so, he denied that the US was running short of any weaponry, arguing that the administration was being “judicious” about its spending.
“We’re asking for a lot of reasons, beyond even what we’re talking about in Iran,” Trump said. “Munitions in particular, at the high end we have a lot, but we’re preserving it.”
Trump says Japan, unlike NATO, is "stepping up to the plate” in Iran war
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House today that he’s pleased with the level of backing he’s seen from Japan on US military actions in Iran. He contrasted it with European allies, who have been less vocally supportive during the spiraling conflict.
“We’ve had tremendous support and relationship with Japan on everything,” Trump told reporters during a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. “And I believe that, based on statements that were given to us yesterday, the day before yesterday, having to do with Japan, they are really stepping up to the plate, yes.”
He then added a quick aside: “Unlike NATO.”
Earlier Thursday, a group of European nations and Japan issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, adding that they are ready to contribute to “appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.”
Trump has criticized the NATO alliance for not fully backing the administration’s efforts in Iran, telling reporters Tuesday he believes the defensive alliance is “making a very foolish mistake.”
Later, the president said he expected Japan to “step up,” citing the nation’s reliance on the Strait of Hormuz for oil imports.
“And then in the case of NATO, they don’t want to help us defend the Strait, and they’re the ones that need it,” he said. “But now they’re getting much nicer, because they’re seeing my attitude … but it’s, as far as I’m concerned, it’s too late.”
Trump says he told Netanyahu to halt attacks on energy facilities
US President Donald Trump says he’s spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and instructed him to stop attacks on Iranian oil and gas facilities.
Trump previously said the United States “knew nothing” about an Israeli strike on Iranian facilities in the South Pars gas field, the world’s largest natural gas reserve.
But an Israeli source familiar with the attack told CNN on Wednesday that Israel had carried out the attack in coordination with the US, contradicting the president’s claim. A US source also told CNN that the US was “aware” of the strike.
Trump said during a meeting in the Oval Office the US and Israel were “independent” but “get along great.”
“It’s coordinated. But on occasion he’ll do something, and if I don’t like it, and so we’re not doing that anymore,” he said.
Trump says he thought oil price rises would be worse
President Donald Trump said today that he expected a sharper spike in oil prices, suggesting the economic impact has so far been more limited than what he anticipated before authorizing US strikes on Iran.
“And I said, you know, if I do that, oil prices will go up, the economy will go down a little bit. I thought it would be worse, much worse,” Trump said during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
“Actually, I thought there was a chance it could be much worse. It’s not bad, and it’s going to be over with pretty soon,” Trump added.
When asked whether he would lift sanctions on Iranian oil, the president said he would do “whatever is necessary” to help with prices.
His remarks come as global energy markets have reacted to escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, surging to $115 a barrel Thursday morning after Israeli strikes triggered Iranian retaliation targeting key energy infrastructure.
Trump says he's not deploying US troops, but notes he wouldn't say if he were
President Donald Trump said he’s not deploying US troops when asked about Reuters’ reporting that his administration is considering deploying thousands of US troops to the Middle East.
“No, I’m not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you, but I’m not putting troops,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Thursday.
While a White House official told CNN earlier Thursday “there has been no decision to send ground troops at this time,” they reiterated how Trump “wisely keeps all options at his disposal.”
CNN has reported that a Marine Expeditionary Unit has been deployed to the Middle East, but it’s unclear if or when the US would send ground troops.
Saudi Arabia could strike back at Iran "if deemed necessary," foreign minister tells CNN
Saudi Arabia could take “military actions” against Iran after Tehran stepped up its attacks on the country, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told CNN yesterday.
Speaking at a news conference following a meeting with regional foreign ministers in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, he told CNN’s Nic Robertson that the Saudi leadership will strike back at Iran “if deemed necessary.”
“We will not shy away from protecting our country and our economic resources,” he said.
The foreign minister accused Iran of attacking “the livelihoods of ordinary Saudis” after it carried out a number of attacks on oil and gas infrastructure, and expressed frustration at Tehran’s decision to do so.
Al Saud also criticized Iran’s decision to abandon diplomacy.
“It doesn’t believe in talking to its neighbors. It tries to pressure its neighbors,” he said.
“And what I can say categorically, that’s not going to work. The kingdom is not going to succumb to pressure. And on the contrary, this pressure will backfire,” he said.
Iran condemns UAE for expelling 2,500 students, files complaint with UN and UNESCO
Iran has accused the United Arab Emirates of expelling 2,500 Iranian students and shutting down Iranian schools across the country.
Ali Farhadi, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Education, told Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Thursday that Emirati authorities had abruptly expelled Iranian students and halted the operations of Iranian public schools across the country.
Farhadi described the action as an example of “hostile policies” aligned with the United States and Israel, and said the Iranian government would raise the issue with United Nations and UNESCO arguing that the actions violate human rights.
Iranian schools have operated in the UAE for more than 50 years with official approval, Farhadi said. Arrangements have been made to allow the effected students to continue their education in Oman until the end of the academic year.
There was no immediate response from UAE authorities. CNN has reached out to the UAE Government Media Office for comment.
Arab and Islamic nations call on Iran to halt attacks, affirm right to self-defense
Arab and Islamic foreign ministers have called on Iran to immediately cease its attacks, while affirming the right of states to defend themselves under international law.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday after a consultative meeting in Riyadh , the ministers strongly condemned what they described as deliberate Iranian strikes using ballistic missiles and drones targeting civilian areas and critical infrastructure across the region.
The meeting brought together representatives from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Syria.
Participants said the attacks targeted Gulf countries as well as Jordan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, striking residential areas, oil facilities, desalination plants, airports, and diplomatic premises. They stressed that such actions “could not be justified under any pretext or in any manner whatsoever.”
The ministers emphasized that states have the right to defend themselves in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
They added that the future of relations with Tehran would depend on its respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs, as well as refraining from using or developing military capabilities to threaten regional countries.
Ministers further urged Iran to end its support, financing, and arming of affiliated militias operating in Arab countries, warning that such actions undermine regional stability.
They also cautioned against any attempt to disrupt international navigation, including in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab Strait, stressing the importance of safeguarding maritime security.
Iranian ballistic missile strikes major refinery in northern Israel
An Iranian missile struck the Haifa oil refinery complex on Thursday, three Israeli sources confirmed to CNN.
Emergency teams have been dispatched to the scene to assess the extent of the damage. No injuries have been reported.
Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority said crews are conducting searches at the scene and working to extinguish a fire that broke out as other teams check for a suspected hazardous materials incident.
The Bazan Group oil refineries are one of Israel’s largest energy companies, operating the main refinery facility for fuel and chemical production in the Haifa Bay area.
US F-35 damaged by suspected Iranian fire makes emergency landing, sources say
A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, said the fifth-generation stealth jet was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to make an emergency landing. Hawkins said the aircraft landed safely, and the incident is under investigation.
“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,” Hawkins added. “This incident is under investigation.”
The incident would be the first time Iran has hit a US aircraft in the war started in late February. Both the US and Israel are flying F-35s in the conflict; the aircraft costs upwards of $100 million.
The emergency landing comes as senior US officials continue to claim widespread success in its campaign against Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday morning that the US is “winning decisively” and that Iran’s air defenses have been “flattened.”
Ferrari halts Middle East sales as Iran war disrupts luxury car market
Wealthy individuals who remain in the Middle East will have to look elsewhere for their next sportscar after Italian luxury marque Ferrari, announced it would suspend deliveries to the region due to the war with Iran.
“We are closely monitoring the developments in the Middle East and the potential implications for our business,” the company said in a statement to Reuters.
“At this stage, we have temporarily suspended deliveries in the area, while managing few deliveries via airplane,” the company added.
Popular theme park Ferrari World, in Abu Dhabi, remains open despite the halt in vehicle deliveries.
Iran war will have "material impact" on European inflation via energy prices, ECB says
The European Central Bank (ECB) has joined a growing cohort of key financial and economic bodies warning about the economic impact of the war in the Middle East.
Announcing its decision to keep interest rates on hold, the bank said today that the economic outlook was now “significantly more uncertain.”
“The war in the Middle East has made the outlook significantly more uncertain… it will have a material impact on near-term inflation through higher energy prices,” it said in a statement.
The ECB, which sets monetary policy for the 21 countries that use the euro, also said that the medium-term implications of the war would depend “both on the intensity and duration of the conflict.”
Speaking to reporters, Christine Lagarde, the ECB’s president, said the bank was “both well-positioned and well-equipped” to deal with the “major shock that is unfolding.”
Hegseth opened briefing by talking about US troop fatalities in a shift
For the first time since US combat operations against Iran began, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth opened today’s press briefing at the Pentagon by acknowledging the sacrifices of American servicemembers who have been killed in action so far.
It was a notable, albeit brief, shift in tone from Hegseth before he returned to attacking the media for its coverage of the war and touting the US military’s accomplishments — as he has during five previous appearances in the Pentagon briefing room since the first US troops were killed on March 1.
Earlier this month, Hegseth stood at the same podium and suggested that the press prominently covers service member casualties to “make the president look bad,” an incendiary claim that injected partisan politics into a wartime Pentagon press conference.
His tone has stood in stark contrast to that of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, who has opened and closed his remarks by honoring those troops each time he has stood alongside Hegseth while addressing the media.
But, on Thursday, Hegseth took a page from Caine’s book and began his remarks — not by lambasting the press or praising President Donald Trump’s leadership — but by reflecting on his trip to Dover Air Force Base the day prior, where he and Trump honored six of the 13 US troops killed in action to date.
“Yesterday at Dover Air Force Base, President Trump, the Chairman and I stood in solemn silence as heroes came home, flag draped caskets. We honored them, we grieved with their families, and we listened what I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family,” Hegseth said.
Iran’s military degraded though it began war "with a lot of weapons," defense officials say
During Thursday’s Pentagon press briefing, top US military officials simultaneously said that Iran’s ability to strike US forces and allies in the Middle East continues to “degrade” while also acknowledging they still had the ability to do so as the war stretches into its 19th day.
“They came into this fight with a lot of weapons,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said during the briefing. “They still retain some capability.”
“As I’ve said from day one, our capabilities continue to build, Iran’s continue to degrade,” Hegseth said during the briefing.
He later added the US is “destroying and degrading” Iran’s ability to launch drones and missiles in “historic” proportions.
European countries and Japan say they are ready to help ensure safety of Strait of Hormuz
Several European nations and Japan issued a joint statement on Thursday condemning Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has choked off roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply and caused its price to dramatically increase. The countries added that they are ready to contribute to “appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.”
“We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping,” the nations added. They also called for all parties to implement “an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations.”
The countries also said they will take other steps to stabilize energy markets, including working with certain oil-producing nations to increase output.
For context: US President Donald Trump has been calling on allies to send warships and minesweepers to help secure the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to calm global oil markets, but none have made firm commitments yet. On Wednesday, Trump mused in a social media post about letting the “countries that use it” take responsibility for securing the Strait, adding: “That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!”
Gabbard says objectives laid out by US and Israel for the war in Iran are different
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said that the objectives laid out by the US and Israeli governments for the war against Iran “are different,” adding that she does not know if Israel would support making a deal with Iran.
“We can see through the operations that the Israeli government has been focused on disabling the Iranian leadership and taking out several members, obviously beginning with the Ayatollah, the supreme leader, and they continue to focus on that effort,” Gabbard said at the House Intelligence Committee’s Worldwide Threats hearing Thursday.
Gabbard said she doesn’t “know Israel’s position” on making a deal with Iran nor would she say if she agreed that Israel had “ignored” the president on striking Iran’s energy infrastructure.
“I’m not privy to any of their deliberations or what went into their calculus and launching this or other attacks,” Gabbard said. “We are not involved with the, in the operational element of this. We’re providing continuously, on a daily basis, the intelligence assessments of the events that are occurring.”
Watch moment Russian TV crew narrowly escapes strike in southern Lebanon
Video from Russian state media broadcaster RT shows the moment its crew, including correspondent Steve Sweeney and cameraman Ali Rida, narrowly escape an Israeli strike while reporting in southern Lebanon.
The footage captures the strike while Sweeney was filming a piece to camera. He suddenly leaps out of frame to take cover as the explosion hits nearby.
In an article on the incident, Russia Today said the missile strike hit the journalists’ car while they were reporting near Qasmiyeh Bridge. Both Sweeney and Rida were injured and are now in hospital, according to RT.
CNN has reached out to Rida who has confirmed they are safe.
In the aftermath of the strike, footage posted by Reuters from the Qasmiyeh Bridge area shows rubble and debris scattered across the scene.
Some context: Lebanon has been the target of an intense Israeli bombardment campaign for weeks, with heavy strikes across the country. The Israeli military says it has been going after high-ranking members and command infrastructure of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia and longtime Israeli adversary.
Lebanese officials say at least 968 people have been killed and more than 1 million internally displaced since Israel began attacking it on March 2. Of those killed, 116 were children, it said.
Iran will have "zero restraint" if Israel strikes infrastructure again, Iranian FM says
Iran demonstrated only a “fraction” of its power in its retaliatory response to Israeli strikes on its infrastructure, choosing to reduce its capability out of a “respect for requested de-escalation,” the country’s foreign minister said today.
In an update on X, Abbas Araghchi wrote, “Our response to Israel’s attack on our infrastructure employed FRACTION of our power. The ONLY reason for restraint was respect for requested de-escalation.”
Araghchi appeared to warn Israel that if it launched another attack, Iran’s response would be greater than the last. “ZERO restraint if our infrastructures are struck again,” he said.
He also expressed Iran’s desire for reparations as a result of civilian sites caught in crossfire and suffering damage, “Any end to this war must address damage to our civilian sites.”
New reports suggest US weighing troop deployment, seeking more funding for Iran war
The Trump administration is considering deploying thousands of US troops to the Middle East in preparation for its next steps in the Iran war, several people familiar with the matter, including a US official, told Reuters.
In a statement to CNN, a White House official said there “has been no decision to send ground troops at this time, but President (Donald) Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal.”
If the administration moves forward with a deployment, it would follow the Pentagon’s move last week to send a Marine Expeditionary Unit of around 2,500 Marines and sailors to the region.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told Fox News on Sunday that the military is providing options to Trump “to have forces that are trained, equipped, in position and ready for whatever he chooses to do as commander in chief.”
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is seeking to ask Congress for more than $200 billion for the war with Iran and has sought the White House’s approval for the request, the Washington Post reported. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not deny the report at a press briefing on Thursday.
The White House would ultimately have to make the decision on how much to ask from Congress. A senior administration official told the Post that some White House officials don’t think the Pentagon’s request could realistically pass in Congress.
Cost of war: CNN previously reported that the Pentagon told US lawmakers that according to preliminary estimates, the first six days of the war cost at least $11 billion. In just the first two days of the conflict, the US military used more than $5 billion worth of munitions.
This post has been updated with additional reporting.
