Here's the latest
• State of possible talks: The White House said talks with Iran are proceeding apace, even after Tehran did not immediately accept a 15-point plan to end the war. The US is working to arrange a meeting in Pakistan to discuss an off-ramp, two administration officials told CNN.
• Iran’s response: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said messages have been exchanged with the US through mediators, but added that Washington’s shift in tone – having previously demanded Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” – amounted to an acknowledgment of failure.
• Strikes in the region: Falling debris from an intercepted ballistic missile killed two people in Abu Dhabi as several Gulf states fended off attacks Thursday. Meanwhile, Israel and Iran continued to trade strikes.
• Protecting key island: Iran has been laying traps and moving military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in preparation for a possible US operation to take control of it, according to people familiar with US intelligence reporting.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy Commander killed, Israeli sources claim
The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, Alireza Tangsiri, has been killed, according to two Israeli sources with knowledge of the matter.
Iranian authorities have not commented on the reports of Tangsiri’s death.
The two Israeli sources did not provide further details on the operation that they say killed the naval commander. CNN has asked the Israel Defense Forces for official comment.
Tangsiri has been increasingly vocal and visible since Israel and the United States launched their campaign against Iran. He has been a key figure behind the near-total blockade of shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Active on social media throughout the war, Tangsiri most recently posted on X on Tuesday, noting that the passage of any vessel through the strait requires full coordination with Iran’s maritime authority. He has also posted frequent updates about IRGC Navy operations in the Gulf.
OECD expects sharply higher inflation as a result of the Iran war
The Iran war is having a material impact on the inflation outlook in major economies, with economic growth in Europe and the United Kingdom also expected to slow notably because of the conflict.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental body, now expects inflation in 20 large economies, which include the United States, to average 4% this year, up from the 2.8% level forecast in December.
US inflation was also revised up by 1.2 percentage points, to 4.2%. UK inflation was adjusted higher by 1.5 percentage points, to 4%.
“The Middle East conflict has led to a sizable change in growth and inflation prospects,” the OECD said in a report.
While the organization did not provide an outlook for global inflation, it did so for global economic growth. It still expects a 2.9% rise in output, as in December, but some regions have suffered a downgrade. In the United Kingdom, gross domestic product growth was adjusted downward by 0.5 percentage points to 0.7%. GDP growth across the 21 countries that use the euro is also expected to moderate, by 0.4 percentage points to 0.8%, the OECD said.
India and China saw upward revisions to headline inflation, with little to no expected impact on economic growth.
Ground warfare will be "dangerous and costly," Iranian army commander says
Ground warfare will be far more “dangerous and costly for the enemy,” an Iranian army commander said Thursday.
“The enemy must know that a ground war will be more dangerous, more costly, and irreparable for them,” said Iran’s army ground forces commander, Brigadier General Ali Jahanshahi, according to the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA).
“All enemy movements on the borders are monitored, and we are prepared for any scenario,” Jahanshahi said, adding that “every inch of Iran’s geography is protected.”
The semi-official news agency Mehr News also reported Thursday that “Iranian special forces and guerrilla units” are prepared to exert a “painful blow against the Americans” as the war potentially escalates, citing an investigation by the news outet.
This comes as the Trump administration weighs using US troops to seize the tiny island of Kharg in the northeastern Persian Gulf as leverage over the Iranians to coerce them to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, CNN has reported.
Iran has been laying traps and moving additional military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in recent weeks in preparation for a possible US operation to take control of the island, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue.
But US officials and military experts say there would be significant risks involved in such a ground operation, including a large number of US casualties.
Sea captain stranded in Gulf of Oman for three weeks talks about his experience
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout speaks with a captain who was struck in the Middle East for three weeks and witnessed projectiles flying near his oil tanker.
More vessels are crossing the Strait of Hormuz after Iran announced “non-hostile” ships may transit if they coordinate with Iranian authorities. But the future is uncertain according to an oil tanker master who was granted safe passage after being stranded three weeks in the region.
“One particular party may say it will allow safe passage, but conditions of safe passage depend on various factors, and parties involved are too many,” said Captain Samanth Baktavatsalam.
Baktavatsalam, an Indian national, is a tanker master with 27 years of sailing experience. But never before had he led a crew stranded at sea during an escalating conflict.
“It was quite intense,” he told CNN. “We could actually see projectiles and naval and air force services in action, and we could actually see some of the damage on the coastline.”
Baktavatsalam and his crew were stuck in the Gulf of Oman for three weeks before their vessel gained safe passage with military escort by an undisclosed regional authority. He did not disclose further details about the vessel or which flag it was sailing under.
Their tanker experienced near-complete GPS jamming, forcing the crew to rely on traditional navigation methods, he said. Keeping crew morale high was another challenge that Baktavatsalam managed with open communication, one-on-one check-ins, and remote counseling support.
Supplies became tight, but his vessel was still relatively better off than some others.
“Indeed, we are definitely one of the lucky ones,” he said. “In some places there are extreme cases of water rationing and managing with whatever they have.”
Baktavatsalam was one of an estimated 20,000 seafarers stranded in the region, caught in the crossfire of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Oil prices rise, stocks fall on investors' doubts about a quick end to the war
Oil prices rose and stock markets fell Thursday as investors grew more doubtful that the Iran conflict would be over soon.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, climbed 3.6% to almost $106 a barrel. WTI, the US benchmark, rose 3.6% to above $93.6 a barrel.
On stock markets, South Korea’s Kospi led declines in Asia, closing 3.2% lower. Markets in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai also fell. European markets were trading lower in morning hours, with US futures also pointing to a weaker open.
“Market attention is quickly turning to the end of Trump’s five-day deadline from Monday, when he said he’d postpone strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure,” Jim Reid, head of global macroeconomic research at Deutsche Bank, wrote in a note.
With that deadline some 48 hours away, and as the United States deploys soldiers to the Middle East, “the prospect of a fresh escalation is still top of mind for investors,” he added.
Iran, which has denied that serious peace talks with the United States are taking place, continued to trade strikes with Israel overnight. Tehran has also been moving troops and air defenses to Kharg Island in preparation for a possible US operation to take control of it, according to people familiar with US intelligence reporting.
Kharg Island is the hub for around 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports, and experts say any attacks on refineries there would cause the conflict to escalate.
China noncommittal when asked about new Trump summit date
The White House may have announced new dates for an expected summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but Beijing’s Foreign Ministry declined to confirm them when asked Thursday.
Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular press briefing that China and the US are “in communication” regarding the summit, and “presidential diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-US relations.”
Trump had originally been scheduled to visit Beijing next week – the US president’s first visit to China in eight years – but postponed the trip due to the war with Iran.
The new date announced by the White House of May 14-15 has been widely interpreted as revealing something of the Trump administration’s thinking as to when the conflict might end.
The proposed new dates also shorten the initial three-day visit – originally scheduled for March 31 to April 2 – to just two days.
Chinese sources previously indicated to CNN the war could still further impact talks, or result in either side pulling out altogether, with China considering Chinese casualties or damage to Chinese assets as potential red lines.
In a phone call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday, Beijing’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said a “glimmer of hope” for peace had emerged, as both the US and Iran signaled a willingness to negotiate.
Israel and Iran continue to trade strikes
Israel’s military said Thursday morning that it has completed a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting key infrastructure across several areas in Iran.
Also on Thursday, there were reports of fragments and debris falling in the Israeli cities of Petah Tikva and Kfar Qassem.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said: “Search and rescue forces from the Home Front Command are on their way to a scene where reports have been received of an impact in central Israel.”
Seperately, Iran’s state media reported that two teenage boys were among those killed on Wednesday in an attack in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, blaming the United States and Israel for the assault.
Two killed in Abu Dhabi by falling debris from intercepted missile
Falling debris from an intercepted ballistic missile killed two people in Abu Dhabi, the city’s authorities said on Thursday.
The debris had fallen on Sweihan Street, a major thoroughfare on the city’s east side, according to the Abu Dhabi government’s media office. Besides the two deaths – of people only described as “unidentified individuals” – the incident also caused three injuries and damaged a number of cars.
The United Arab Emirates has come under retaliatory Iranian strikes since the war began more than three weeks ago. Authorities reported interceptions of Iranian missiles and drones from early Thursday morning, with CNN staff in Abu Dhabi hearing loud booms overnight.
Iranian state media claims Houthi rebels ready to join Iran war
Iran-backed rebels are ready to join the war against the US and Israel, Iranian state-affiliated news agency Tasnim claimed, citing “an informed source.”
The Houthis, also known as Yemeni Ansarullah, are ready to take control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which would be an “easy task,” the report said, citing the unnamed source.
The rebel group has already caused major disruption in the Red Sea since October 2023, firing on hundreds of Israeli targets in retaliation for Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
It has also targeted ships linked to the US and UK, impeding the flow of global trade. Efforts to repel the rebels failed to halt the attacks.
The US and other Western navies have been escorting ships through the sea, but if the Houthis decide to take control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait it would likely further limit their options.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a vital passageway between the Mediterranean and the Arabian Sea, linking Europe to Africa and Asia in oceans beyond.
India urges households to reduce reliance on LPG and use more PNG
India is urging households to increase their reliance on piped natural gas (PNG) as the country reels from the energy fallout of the war – a move that could transform cooking habits for tens of millions of people.
Households across urban and rural India rely heavily on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders as their primary cooking fuel, which are delivered everywhere from high-rise apartment blocks to remote village clusters.
However, India’s PNG infrastructure – gas delivered via pipeline – has been steadily expanding in recent years, with more than 15 million registered household connections across the country.
The nation of 1.4 billion imports much of its LPG from the Middle East. By contrast, its PNG supply does not rely as heavily on imports.
The government this week ordered an expansion of the country’s natural gas infrastructure and directed households in areas with existing piped gas networks to make the switch within three months of receiving a mailed notice. Households that fail to do so could lose access to their LPG supply, the order said.
This has caused some anxiety among residents.
“Our entire neighborhood runs on LPG,” said Chandra Tandon, a grocery store owner in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar neighborhood.
Chandra said she was unaware of the notice and unsure how to make the switch.
Meanwhile, black-market sales of LPG cylinders and a spike in induction stove purchases have been reported across India.
Other countries in Asia are implementing emergency measures to deal with the energy crisis.
Rescuers race against time after strikes in western Iran, Red Crescent says
Rescuers are working around the clock to save those trapped under the rubble after airstrikes in the western province of Lorestan, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said.
A clip posted by the international humanitarian group on X early Thursday showed rescue workers conducting searches around flattened buildings, with excavators deployed.
South Korea shifts to emergency economic response over energy crisis
Fuel-starved countries in Asia are implementing emergency measures as the global energy crisis worsens.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced a new emergency response system on Thursday, urging citizens to “actively participate in small everyday actions, such as using public transportation and conserving energy.”
He also asked gas stations to cooperate with the government’s oil price cap on refinery supply prices, and for citizens to reduce their electricity use. The government is also working to maintain current electricity prices, since the country’s sole electricity provider is a government-run agency.
Also on Thursday, the Philippines’ energy market regulator said it had suspended the country’s wholesale electricity spot market until further notice, citing fuel supply risks and volatile prices.
And in Thailand, panic buying ensued after the government announced that it would reduce the subsidy on oil prices – with social media videos showing cars rushing to fill up their tanks on Wednesday night.
Iran and the US are still talking - but they're portraying it differently
Talks between the United States and Iran are ongoing – though both sides are describing things very differently. US President Donald Trump claimed Tehran wants to make a deal “so badly,” while Iran stressed that Washington’s desire for a deal is “an admission of defeat.”
Meanwhile, the realities of war are hitting home in the US – with high public dissatisfaction, a new postal surcharge, and bipartisan skepticism in Congress.
Here’s what to know on Day 27:
- State of possible talks: The White House said talks with Iran are proceeding apace, even after Tehran did not immediately accept a 15-point plan to end the war. The US is working to arrange a meeting in Pakistan to discuss an off-ramp, two administration officials tell CNN.
- Iran’s response: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that messages have been exchanged with the US through mediators, but said that Washington’s shift in tone – having previously demanded Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” – amounted to an acknowledgment of failure.
- USPS fee: The US Postal Service will charge a first-ever 8% fuel surcharge on packages, adding to the costs for American consumers and businesses as a result of the war. The surcharge is temporary and will only apply to packages, not letters. Consumers and businesses will start seeing the fee on April 26.
- Bipartisan complaints: Members of the House Armed Services Committee said they were unsatisfied with a briefing by Trump administration officials on the war, its objectives and timeline – the latest sign of growing angst even among members of Trump’s own party. The frustration arose as lawmakers are bracing for a supplemental request to fund the war effort and restock munitions used so far.
- Protecting key island: Iran has been laying traps and moving military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in preparation for a possible US operation to take control of the island, according to people familiar with US intelligence reporting.
Japan begins releasing oil from government-owned reserves
From Thursday at 11 a.m. local time, Japan began releasing 30 days’ worth of oil from its state-owned reserves. This is part of a broader plan to release up to 45 days’ worth in total — its largest ever — alongside releases from private-sector stockpiles that began on March 16.
Tokyo also plans to release oil from stockpiles held jointly with producing nations by the end of the month, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
Japan imports more than 90% of its crude oil from the Middle East.
While the government has avoided energy-saving mandates so far, it has warned against panic buying of toilet paper amid supply concerns. And after fuel prices hit record highs of 190 yen per liter, Japan rolled out subsidies to cap them at around 170 yen per liter ($4.16 per gallon).
On Wednesday, the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, said the agency is prepared to release more oil reserves “if and when necessary.”
He made the comments during a visit to Tokyo, where Takaichi asked the IEA “to prepare to implement an additional release in case the situation drags on” amid the US-Israel war with Iran.
Republican unease grows over war's aims and length
A key group of House Republicans is growing increasingly frustrated over the US’ war with Iran after a Wednesday briefing with the House Armed Services Committee left many exasperated over the objectives and length of the conflict.
Among them is Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC), who told CNN she stormed out of the briefing and would shoot down any requests for additional funding for the war.
“I felt like the House Armed Services Committee was misled during that briefing. They didn’t have a lot of answers,” Mace said following the meeting. “Every day this drags on, the less support on the Republican side.”
Speaking to CNN’s Laura Coates later Wednesday, Mace, who is running for governor of her state, said the objectives of the war need to be clarified “both for the American public and for Congress.”
The congresswoman criticized recent comments Sen. Lindsey Graham – also of South Carolina – made to Fox News, saying the US should continue to engage in conflict with Iran and seize control of Kharg Island, an economic lifeline for Iran that handles roughly 90% of the country’s crude exports.
“I will not send South Carolina’s sons and daughters to war to die for the price of oil. I just will not do it,” Mace told Coates. “I don’t think Lindsey Graham, for all of that hubris, has thought through or war-gamed the consequences of us taking Kharg Island.”
“Tell me a war that we’ve won in the last 70 years… where we have done regime change, we failed,” she said.
South Korea held talks with US on easing sanctions on Russian oil
South Korea confirmed it has been granted permission to import certain Russian energy products under the US’ relaxing of sanctions, following some conditions, as the global fuel crisis grows.
“The US previously announced a temporary relaxation concerning Russian crude oil and petroleum product sanctions,” said Yang Gi-uk, an official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Resources.
However, Yang added, the Seoul government consulted Washington to “confirm specific details” because there remained uncertainties and concerns about the measure.
Those talks confirmed that South Korea can buy Russian energy products as long as they are paid “in currencies other than US dollar,” Yang said on Wednesday. Secondary sanctions will not be applied.
The Trump administration is trying to find any lever it can pull to keep oil prices in check while it wages its war – including desanctioning hundreds of millions of barrels of Russian oil earlier this month.
Gulf nations intercept missiles and drones
Gulf nations were fending off attacks Thursday morning as regional strikes continue for a fourth week.
The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted drones and missiles from Iran on Thursday morning, assuring the public that “the sounds heard” are the country’s air defenses in action.
Kuwait issued a similar message, saying “any explosions that may be heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting hostile targets.” It did not specify where the ongoing “missile and drone threats” were coming from.
Bahrain warned that sirens have been sounded, and instructed its residents to take shelter in “the nearest safe place.”
Some context: For many Gulf Arab states, their cities have borne the brunt of most Iranian missiles and drones, leaving their sense of security shaken and sowing deep distrust with their Iranian neighbors for years to come.
The majority of countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, now view the Iranian regime as a direct and a long-term threat to their safety and could now require an end to the war with guarantees to their security. In contrast, countries such as Oman have expressed discontent with Israel and the United States for launching the war against Iran.
Ships passing through Hormuz solely through Iran-controlled "toll booth" says Lloyd's List.
Oil tankers are passing through the Strait of Hormuz exclusively through a “de facto toll booth regime” set up by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Lloyd’s List said.
“Since March 13, a total of 26 vessel transits through the strait have followed a route pre-approved under an IRGC ‘toll booth’ system that requires the ship operators to submit to a vetting scheme,” it said on its website Wednesday.
“While not all ships are paying a direct toll at least two vessels have and the payment is settled in yuan,” it added.
Iran earlier this week said that the strait will remain open to all except its “enemies”.
Trump says Iran wants to make a deal “so badly” but “they’re afraid to say it”
President Donald Trump said Wednesday Iran wants to make a deal “so badly” but “they’re afraid to say it” for fear of being killed.
“Nobody’s ever seen anything like we’re doing in the Middle East with Iran, and they are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they’re afraid to say it because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people. They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us,” Trump said at fundraising dinner for the House GOP campaign arm in Washington.
The White House said earlier Wednesday that talks with Iran are not at a dead end even after Tehran did not immediately accept a 15-point plan to end the war. The US is working to arrange a meeting in Pakistan to discuss an off-ramp, two administration officials tell CNN.
While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that messages have been exchanged with the US through mediators, he stressed that the communications do not amount to negotiations.
“Iran always lies," says Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser of US peace talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk has expressed deep skepticism about Iran’s willingness to negotiate an end to the war.
“Well, Iran always lies. We’ve learned that they always lie,” Falk said in an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto, when asked why Israel doubts Tehran’s intentions.
While the White House has claimed discussions with Iran are continuing apace – despite Tehran not immediately accepting a 15-point plan to end the war, Iran has cast doubt on the level of its engagement. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that messages had been exchanged through “friendly countries” but these did not amount to negotiations.
Falk said Israel’s primary goal was to “remove the existential threat posed by this ayatollah regime.”
He described three potential paths to Israel’s goal: removing the regime itself, severely weakening Iran’s military capabilities, or pursuing diplomacy.
“The best way of doing that is to remove the regime,” he said. “Another way … is to decimate their military capabilities until they get to the stone age… more or less a third way … is by negotiations.”
Falk emphasized that Israel does not see these options as mutually exclusive.
“To the contrary, we can do all three at once, and that’s what we’re doing now.”
