Here's the latest
• Trump postpones strike threat: US President Donald Trump told CNN there are 15 points of agreement between the US and Iran after talks this weekend. He announced he will hold off strikes against Iranian energy sites for five days, after earlier threatening an attack if Tehran did not let the Strait of Hormuz fully reopen. Oil prices dropped following Trump’s statement.
• Iran responds: Iran’s foreign ministry said there was “no dialogue” between Tehran and Washington, according to state affiliated media. Separately, the semi-official Fars News Agency, citing what it described as informed Iranian sources, said plans are being prepared for potential actions targeting Tel Aviv and some regional allies of the US and Israel.
• Growing toll: The number of people reported killed in Iran and Lebanon since the start of the conflict is now in the thousands.
Child rescued from damaged building in Tehran
A video by the Iranian Red Crescent shows rescue workers rescuing a child from the site of a residential building which the aid agency says was struck in Tehran Monday.
The footage shows workers pulling the child through the window and escorting him safely to the ground, which is covered in rubble. The Red Crescent had previously said it was searching for a child “beneath the debris of a residential building.”
The Israeli military said Monday it was conducting strikes on regime targets in the “heart of Iran.” Several locations across the Iranian capital were targeted, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.
Asian stocks rebound after Trump says he's holding off striking Iran's power plants
Asian stocks rallied early Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced he was postponing strikes against Iranian power plants.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 0.9% as of 10:40 am local time Tuesday, and Sout Korea’s Kospi rose 1.1%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 1.4%.
Still, stocks and oil prices remain volatile as the war with Iran continues, deepening fears of an energy crisis among Asian countries, which are highly dependent on oil and gas imported from the Middle East and shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.
It's time to negotiate and to end the hostilities in Iran, EU chief says
The President of the European Commission said Tuesday “it’s time to go to the negotiation table and end the hostilities” in Iran.
“It is of utmost importance that we come to a solution that is negotiated and this puts an end to the hostilities that we see in the Middle East,” she said, calling Iran’s attacks on civilian infrastructure and vessels in the Gulf “unacceptable.”
Israeli parliament temporarily halts session due to incoming missiles
Israel’s parliament had to stop a late night session due to incoming missiles from Iran, a Knesset spokesperson said.
The session was suspended following an alert from the Home Front Command, and resumed about 15 minutes later, the spokesperson said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries in Jerusalem from the missile attack, according to the country’s emergency service Magen David Adom.
Some Iranians say this war must continue
CNN’s Leila Gharagozlou reports that some Iranians think this war is “a welcome, if not brutal necessity.” Here’s why:
CNN spoke with Iranians who shared divided views about the war as it enters its fourth week. CNN’s Leila Gharagozlou reports what’s behind the reasoning for citizens who say “This war must continue,” while others who oppose the US and Israel’s intervention assert “these are our issues” that “we must solve ourselves.”
Cluster missile from Iran hits city near Haifa, Israeli military says
A cluster missile from Iran hit the city of Nesher, near Haifa, according to the Israeli military.
Damage can be seen at the impact site, though no injuries have been reported, according to Israel’s emergency response service. See the aftermath footage below.
Here’s what happened since Trump said he was postponing strikes on Iranian energy targets
US President Donald Trump said that renewed discussions with Tehran began soon after he threatened to bomb Iran’s energy infrastructure. Then he said he would postpone the strikes, which sent stocks soaring and oil prices falling, but Tehran rejected Trump’s claims, saying there were no negotiations with the US, according to state-run media.
Read more details here about how the US president shifted from threatening attacks on power plants to touting peace.
If you’re just joining us, here’s the key news developments since Trump’s announcement:
From Iran:
- Iran is preparing plans for potential actions targeting Tel Aviv and some regional allies of the US and Israel, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported Monday, citing what it described as informed Iranian sources.
- Tehran has full control over the Persian Gulf region, the Strait of Hormuz and waters off Oman, a military spokesperson said, arguing that Iran does not need to lay mines to assert its position.
- Mohsen Rezaei, the senior military adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said the war will continue until Tehran receives full compensation for damage it has sustained.
From Israel:
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Trump believes there is an opportunity to turn what Netanyahu called major military gains into an agreement that would “safeguard our vital interests.” However, Netanyahu said Israel will continue attacks in Iran and Lebanon.
- Israel is diverting a combat battalion from its northern border with Lebanon to the occupied West Bank amid a wartime surge in settler violence against Palestinians, according to an Israeli military official.
- The military has said that it struck one of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ main headquarters today, alongside several other military buildings in the capital city of Tehran.
Diplomacy and other developments:
- The US embassy in Muscat, Oman, issued a shelter in place warning for the entire country because of “ongoing activity,” without elaborating.
- The USS Gerald R. Ford, an aircraft carrier that had been participating in US operations against Iran, reached Greece for maintenance and repairs after a non-combat fire broke out in the ship’s laundry area.
- Pakistan offered to host talks involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
- Turkey’s foreign minister stepped up diplomatic efforts and spoke to more than a dozen regional and global counterparts over the past 48 hours, records show.
Thousands of people have been killed in the Middle East since the war with Iran began, according to a CNN tally.
CNN’s Dana Karni, Oren Liebermann, Sophia Saifi, Azaz Syed, Sana Noor Haq, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Eyad Kourdi, Catherine Nicholls, James Frater and Adam Cancryn contributed reporting to this post.
See how Israeli strikes have impacted southern Lebanon
Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,000 people, including more than 100 children, since the bombing campaign began earlier this month.
Here’s a look at the impact on people in a town in southern Lebanon.
Supreme leader's adviser says war will continue until Iran is compensated
Mohsen Rezaei, the senior military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said the war will continue until Iran receives full compensation for damage it has sustained.
In a televised speech aired Monday, Rezaei also vowed that Iran would keep fighting until “all economic sanctions are lifted, and legally binding international guarantees are obtained to prevent US interference in Iran.”
“We see that our armed forces are carrying out operations and activities with strength. Our leadership project, with the selection of a new leader, has firmly come under his management,” Rezaei said.
The adviser claimed that “the war was effectively over” more than a week ago and that “the United States was ready to stop and pursue a ceasefire.” But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “pushed to continue,” he said.
Rezaei claimed that after Day 15, “the US clearly understood that there was no path to victory in this war.”
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in an X post earlier Monday that Iranians are demanding “complete and remorseful punishment” of the “aggressors.”
Israel diverts combat troops from northern border to West Bank as settler violence surges
Israel is diverting a combat battalion from its northern border with Lebanon to the occupied West Bank amid a wartime surge in settler violence against Palestinians, according to an Israeli military official.
The redeployment of a battalion, which consists of hundreds of troops, marks a significant decision as Israel is expanding its ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The decision was made against the rise in Jewish nationalistic crimes against Palestinians. The sharp increase in settler violence has been discussed in recent meetings between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military’s chief of staff.
Violence in the West Bank has surged since the start of the war with Iran. Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group, said there has been an average of 10 settler attacks per day on Palestinians since the beginning of March. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir condemned settler violence during a visit to the area last week, calling on “all elements in the state to act against this phenomenon and put an end to it before it’s too late.”
A spokesperson for the IDF said: “In accordance with the multi-arena situational assessment, and following the recent incidents in the area, the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, instructed a reinforcement of soldiers in the Central Command, as part of strengthening readiness for various defense and offense scenarios.” Israel’s Central Command refers to the West Bank.
Pakistan “ready to host talks” between Iran and US
Islamabad is “already ready to host talks” involving Iran and the United States, a Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson told CNN, hours after Tehran rebuffed claims that the US and Iran opened a diplomatic channel this past weekend.
“If both sides agree, Pakistan is always ready to host talks,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Monday.
Top Iranian and US officials have issued contradictory statements regarding talks between the two countries in recent days, as the US-Israeli assault on Iran entered its fourth week.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said there was “no dialogue” between Tehran and Washington, state-backed media reported Monday. By contrast, US President Donald Trump told CNN that talks between the two nations this weekend led to a 15-point agreement.
So far, Tehran and Washington have been largely communicating through officials from several other nations, including Turkey and Egypt, in an effort to de-escalate the regional violence, sources said Monday.
Netanyahu says Trump sees chance for deal to “safeguard our vital interests"
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that US President Donald Trump believes there is an opportunity to turn what Netanyahu called major military gains into an agreement that would “safeguard our vital interests.”
However, Netanyahu said in a televised speech that Israel will continue attacks in Iran and Lebanon. “We are pounding the missile program and the nuclear program, and we continue to deal heavy blows to Hezbollah.”
Netanyahu said he spoke earlier in the day with Trump, saying he believes Israel can “leverage the significant achievements we have made with the US military in order to achieve the war’s objectives through an agreement — an agreement that will safeguard our vital interests.”
Netanyahu also claimed Israel had recently killed two nuclear scientists and suggested further operations were coming. “Just a few days ago, we eliminated two more nuclear scientists — and more actions are expected,” he said. “We will safeguard our vital interests under any circumstances.”
On Saturday, Israel’s defense minister said that both the US and Israel will “increase significantly” strikes on Iran this week.
See how the closure of Strait of Hormuz threatens global supply chains
While the Strait of Hormuz is vital to the global energy supply, its closure also threatens Gulf countries that rely heavily on imported food. CNN’s Nic Robertson got exclusive access to Jeddah Islamic Port on the Red Sea where officials say cargo could increase by 50% over the next month as shippers are forced to reroute.
Iran says it will not mine the Persian Gulf and warns foreign powers not to interfere
Iran’s military spokesperson said Iran has “full” control over the Persian Gulf region, the Strait of Hormuz and waters off Oman, arguing that Tehran does not need to lay mines in the gulf to assert its position.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has full and powerful control over the Persian Gulf region, the territorial waters of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz,” the spokesperson, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, said in remarks carried by Iranian media.
“Therefore, due to sufficient dominance and power, there will be no need for mine-laying in the Persian Gulf, and we will use every possible means to ensure security as necessary,” Zolfaghari added.
He said Iran’s armed forces are capable of ensuring security in the Persian Gulf and warned that countries outside the region “have no right to interfere in this area.”
Earlier this month, CNN reported that Iran had begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, citing two people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue. The strait is a key global energy chokepoint through which about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil passes.
US Embassy in Oman issues shelter in place warning
The US Embassy in Muscat, Oman, has issued a shelter in place warning for the entire country because of “ongoing activity,” without elaborating.
In the security alert, the embassy urged people in Oman to find a secure location in their residence or another building and “have a supply of food, water, medication, and other essential items.”
“In case of an attack, stay away from any debris, and monitor news outlets for official guidance,” it said.
Days after the US-Israeli war with Iran began, the US Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees their family members to leave Oman, the alert said.
“Special plans” for Tel Aviv and regional allies tonight, Fars news says
Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported Monday, citing what it described as informed Iranian sources, that plans are being prepared for potential actions targeting Tel Aviv and some regional allies of the United States and Israel.
Fars said the threat is in response to US President Donald Trump’s claim that the US is engaged in direct talks with Iran, but it did not provide further details about the nature of the alleged “plans.”
According to the same report, Iranian sources also suggested that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz may not return to its pre-war status even if the conflict eventually ends.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, through which roughly 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption passes, making stability in the waterway vital for global energy markets.
Israel says it has struck IRGC headquarters and other military infrastructure in Tehran
The Israeli military has said that it struck one of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ main headquarters today, alongside several other military buildings in the capital city of Tehran.
The Israeli Air Force carried out “a wide-scale wave of strikes on Iranian regime infrastructure,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
Earlier today, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said that several locations across Tehran were targeted in Israeli strikes. Meanwhile, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said it was “searching beneath the debris of a residential building in Tehran to find a child.”
The IDF said that Iranian security organization headquarters and “key weapons manufacturing sites” were among the facilities targeted, as well as “additional manufacturing sites and research facilities related to electronics, ballistic missiles, and warheads.”
In a separate statement about the IRGC headquarters it said it struck, the IDF said that the facility was used by the Iranian military “to synchronize unit activities and to conduct situational assessments,” as well as direct the Basij paramilitary force.
“The strike on the headquarters is part of the current operational phase aimed at further degrading core Iranian terror regime systems and security capabilities,” the IDF said, adding that “steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”
UK summons Iran ambassador over pair charged with helping "foreign intelligence service"
London has summoned the Iranian ambassador to the United Kingdom in relation to two people charged “on suspicion of providing assistance to a foreign intelligence service,” a spokesperson for the British Foreign Office said in a statement shared with CNN.
Those charged are an Iranian national and an British-Iranian dual national, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said.
Last week, Nematollah Shahsavani, a dual Iranian/British national, and Alireza Farasati, an Iranian national, were charged with “engaging in conduct that is likely to assist a foreign intelligence service,” according to London’s Metropolitan Police.
The men allegedly conducted “surveillance of locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community in the London area,” the police said.
The FCDO said “national security remains our top priority, and we take threats posed by Iran and those who do its bidding extremely seriously.”
US aircraft carrier arrives for repairs in Greek port
The USS Gerald R. Ford has arrived in Souda Bay, Crete, in Greece to undergo maintenance and repairs after a fire broke out in the ship’s laundry area, the US Navy announced on Monday. The aircraft carrier had been participating in US operations against Iran before the fire.
The ship — the Navy’s most advanced carrier — “remains fully mission capable,” the Navy’s release said. CNN previously reported the Ford was sailing to Souda Bay; a US official said the Ford would be there for “a brief period.” The Navy’s release says the Ford will “undergo efficient assessment, repairs, and resupply.”
The fire was not combat-related, the military has said. The Ford has been deployed since last June, first to the Caribbean as part of the military’s buildup amid tensions with Venezuela, and now to the Middle East as part of the war with Iran. It could break the record for the longest carrier deployment after the Vietnam War if it is still deployed through mid-April, according to USNI News.
Trump says Iran talks started soon after his threat to bomb power plants
President Donald Trump said Monday that renewed discussions with Iran began soon after he threatened to bomb the nation’s energy infrastructure.
“We were planning tomorrow on shooting down some of their power plants, and we’re not going to, we’re going to hold that up,” he said during an event in Tennessee. “Hopefully we won’t have to do it, and hopefully we can make a deal that’s good for all of us.”
Trump had previously warned Iran that he planned to target key energy sites by Monday if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. That prompted talks to restart beginning Saturday night, Trump said, with more significant discussions on Sunday.
“I think they’re very good,” Trump said. “They want peace.”
