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• Get the latest updates on the war with Iran here.
Key developments
• Truce extended: US President Donald Trump said he extended the ceasefire with Iran until peace talks have ended — despite his prior vow not to prolong the truce. He said the US would continue to blockade Iranian ports, which Iran’s foreign minister previously said amounted to an “act of war.”
• Iran pushes back: An Iranian senior adviser said the extension “means nothing” and Tehran should respond militarily. Iran’s UN envoy, meanwhile, said he believes talks will happen if the US ends its blockade.
• Pakistan trip canceled: Following Trump’s announcement, Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Islamabad to lead talks with Iran was called off for the day, according to a White House official.
IRGC threatens oil production sites of Gulf neighbors who help Iran's enemies
An Iranian military commander has warned the country’s southern neighbors that if their land or facilities are used by enemies to attack Iran, “they should say goodbye to oil production in the Middle East region,” according to state media.
“This warning comes as some Persian Gulf countries had previously allowed their territory to be used by Iran’s enemies,” reported state-affiliated Fars News, citing the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force.
“Now, if this continues, their economic lifeline will be at serious risk,” it added, without specifying which countries it was addressing.
The commander also announced that Iran’s “target list” had expanded beyond military installations and that it now included major oil fields and refineries across the Middle East, naming specific sites in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, according to Fars News.
Many of those Gulf nations are US allies, some of which host American military bases.
How Trump's ceasefire extension unfolded
Ahead of now-canceled talks in Pakistan, the Trump administration was dealing with virtual silence from the Iranians.
The US had sent Iran a list of broad deal points that they wanted the Iranians to agree to in advance of the next round of talks. But days went by without a response, raising suspicions about how much Vice President JD Vance and others could achieve by heading to Pakistan for talks, according to three officials.
Trump’s top aides believe a main reason they didn’t hear back was fractures within the current Iranian leadership, their understanding based partly on dispatches from Pakistani intermediaries, according to the three officials. The administration’s sense is that the Iranians don’t have consensus on their position or how much to empower the negotiators on uranium enrichment and the country’s current stockpile of enriched uranium — a major sticking point in negotiations.
Part of that complicating factor, the US believes, is whether the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is giving his subordinates clear directions — or if they’re simply having to guess what he wants without specific instruction. US officials believe his efforts to remain hidden have disrupted internal Iranian government discussions.
Pakistani officials, who scrambled to convince Iran to join the talks, were also encouraging Trump to extend the ceasefire.
Trump determined that extending the ceasefire could, in theory, allow Iran more time to coalesce around a single position with sign-off from Khamenei, though officials said there was little guarantee.
China isn’t fighting the Iran war. But online, it’s already "winning"
On Chinese social media, many users are already framing Beijing as the real “winner” of the Iran war.
AI-generated videos circulating online mock President Donald Trump and portray the conflict as a strategic opportunity for China. Influencers on platforms like Weibo argue that while the United States is entangled in conflict, China is gaining leverage without firing a shot.
Online reaction in China has also been sharply critical of Trump ahead of his expected meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing next month. One user wrote: “No need to come — without credibility, what are you coming for?” Another mocked shifting US messaging, saying the White House’s “credit score” wouldn’t be enough “to unlock a shared bike.”
Analysts say China’s advantage lies in long-term planning. Years of investment in energy security, including stockpiling oil and expanding electric vehicles and renewables, have reduced its vulnerability to global shocks.
There are also early signs of pressure on the US dollar’s dominance in oil markets. Iranian officials have explored pricing some oil shipments in Chinese yuan, and some Chinese influencers are amplifying that shift. In one widely shared Weibo video, a commentator claimed, “the petrodollar is ending, and the Chinese renminbi has won this key round.”
While Washington is all eyes on the war, Beijing appears focused on what comes next, and how to turn global disruption into influence.
Trump says Iran wants Strait of Hormuz open, but warns lifting blockade ends chances of deal
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran ultimately wants the Strait of Hormuz reopened but argued that lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports would undermine the prospects of a peace deal, unless “we blow up” the rest of the country.
“Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!), so they merely want to ‘save face.’”
The president continued: “People approached me four days ago, saying, ‘Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.’”
“But if we do that,” Trump said, “there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included! ”
The comments come after Trump earlier said he was extending a ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal aimed at permanently ending the conflict. He said the US would continue to blockade Iranian ports.
Iran's UN envoy says he believes talks will take place after US lifts blockade
Iran’s United Nations envoy has said he believes negotiations will be held in Pakistan’s capital once the United States ends its blockade of Iranian ports.
His comments came as US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran will be extended until Tehran submits a proposal to end the conflict permanently, though he said the US would continue to blockade Iranian ports.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reports on Trump’s decision.
President Trump said he’s extended the ceasefire with Iran until Tehran has submitted a proposal to end the conflict permanently. He said the US would continue to blockade Iranian ports. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports.
Trump extends the ceasefire with Iran a day before its expiration. Catch up on the latest
President Donald Trump on Tuesday extended a ceasefire with Iran until he said a proposal to end the conflict permanently is submitted.
In a Truth Social post, the president said the extension was due to Iran’s government being “seriously fractured” and said Pakistani officials requested the move. Trump also said the US will continue the blockade of Iranian ports.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump said in a TV interview that he expected to resume bombing Iran if the US didn’t reach a deal to extend the ceasefire by a Wednesday evening ET deadline.
Catch up on the latest:
- Iran reacts to ceasefire extension: Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, dismissed Trump’s announcement, saying it “means nothing.” Ghalibaf had led the first round of negotiations with the US in Islamabad and was expected to attend opposite Vice President JD Vance for a second round of talks.
- On peace talks: Vance’s expected trip to Islamabad to lead the second round was called off following Trump’s announcement, according to a White House official. Vance had been slated to travel alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner to lead a US delegation.
- US blockade: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said oil storage in Iran’s Kharg Island will be full in days, emphasizing the continued US blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports and other efforts to financially weaken the Tehran regime.
- A warning from Iran: Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, a member of Iran’s Interim Leadership Council, warned that any attacks on his country that took place while negotiations were ongoing would set a dangerous global precedent.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Max Feliu, Alejandra Jaramillo, Jonny Hallam, and Sophia Saifi contributed reporting.
UK and France to convene multinational coalition meeting on reopening Strait of Hormuz
The UK and France will convene military planners from over 30 nations in London on Wednesday to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed for almost two months.
Over the course of a two-day conference, military planners will discuss their countries’ capabilities, command and control structures as well as “how military forces can deploy to the region,” the UK’s defense ministry said.
Any military plans drawn up from the sessions will be advanced “as soon as conditions permit, following a sustainable ceasefire agreement,” the ministry added.
The sessions at the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, north London, are the latest step in the UK and France’s efforts to convene a coalition willing to help reopen the strait.
Last Friday, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a virtual international summit attended by 51 countries where they confirmed their intention to establish “an independent and strictly defensive multinational mission,” said the UK’s defense ministry.
“The task, today and tomorrow, is to translate the diplomatic consensus into a joint plan to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait and support a lasting ceasefire,” said John Healey, Britain’s defense minister.
Very few vessels have passed through the crucial waterway since Iran effectively closed it in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on the country, choking off a considerable portion of the world’s oil and gas supply from global energy markets.
Bessent says Kharg Island oil storage capacity "will be full" in days
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said oil storage in Kharg Island will be full in days, emphasizing the continued US blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports and other efforts to financially weaken the Iranian regime.
“As @POTUS has made clear, the United States Navy will continue the blockade of Iranian ports. In a matter of days, Kharg Island storage will be full and the fragile Iranian oil wells will be shut in,” Bessent said Tuesday on social media.
“Constraining Iran’s maritime trade directly targets the regime’s primary revenue lifelines. The @USTreasury will continue to apply maximum pressure through Economic Fury to systematically degrade Tehran’s ability to generate, move, and repatriate funds,” he added, warning that those who assist Iran are vulnerable to sanctions.
Key context: The bulk of Iran’s energy production takes place on Kharg Island. Throughout the war, Iran has been able to produce and sell a significant amount of oil – slightly more than it did in the months before the war.
If the blockade is effective and Iran is running out of storage, it could have to curtail or shut off crude production, which accounts for 80% of the country’s export revenue, according to JPMorgan.
But the US Navy would need to hold the blockade for quite some time to inflict significant economic pain on Iran. It still has 176 million barrels of crude on the water, 142 million of which are in transit to their destinations or otherwise outside the Persian Gulf, according to Kpler. So it has plenty of oil left to sell – potentially billions of dollars worth.
“The blockade may add leverage in negotiations, but only if it is strictly enforced and sustained over a longer horizon, likely on the order of multiple months,” said Natasha Kaneva, head of global commodities research at JPMorgan.
US ambassador to Israel to participate in Israel-Lebanon talks, official says
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will be part of the US delegation for upcoming direct talks between Israel and Lebanon, a US State Department official told CNN.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will again participate in the talks, along with US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and State Department counselor Michael Needham.
Israel and Lebanon will again be represented by their ambassadors to the US, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, respectively.
The talks, scheduled to take place on Thursday at the US State Department, represent the second round of discussions at the ambassadorial level in as many weeks. They come amid a fragile 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon.
According to the State Department official, Huckabee “will conduct routine consultations with State Department leadership and interagency partners, including discussions on regional issues” during his time in Washington, DC.
Trump ceasefire extension "means nothing," says adviser to Iranian parliament speaker
An adviser to Iran’s parliament speaker has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire extension, saying it “means nothing” and that Tehran should respond militarily.
Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the “losing side cannot dictate terms” and called the continuation of the US blockade of Iranian ports a “siege” that is “no different to bombardment.”
In a sign of Tehran’s distrust of Washington, Mohammadi accused Trump of extending the ceasefire as a “ploy to buy time for a surprise strike,” adding that “the time for Iran to take the initiative has come.”
Ghalibaf, the country’s long-serving parliament speaker, led the first round of negotiations with the US in Islamabad and was expected to attend opposite Vice President JD Vance for a second round of talks that were first delayed, then postponed indefinitely.
Pakistan's prime minister thanks Trump for accepting request to extend Iran ceasefire
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked US President Donald Trump for accepting his request to extend the ceasefire with Iran.
Earlier Trump said he would do so upon request from the Pakistani leader and Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir.
He urged both sides to continue to observe the ceasefire and reach a peace deal during a second round of talks in Islamabad.
Vance’s planned Pakistan trip called off as US awaits Iranian proposal
Vice President JD Vance’s expected trip to Islamabad to lead peace talks with Iran has been called off for the day, according to a White House official, and uncertainty surrounds the path forward.
Vance had been slated to travel alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner to lead a US delegation to negotiate with Iranian officials.
“In light of President Trump’s Truth Social post confirming the United States is awaiting a unified proposal from the Iranians, the trip to Pakistan will not be happening today. Any further updates on in-person meetings will be announced by the White House,” the official said in a statement.
President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post earlier today that he’d extend an existing ceasefire with Iran as the administration waits for a “unified proposal” from what he described as the “seriously fractured” government.
Vice President JD Vance arrived at the White House early Tuesday afternoon as questions lingered over whether he would proceed with planned travel to Islamabad. Vance was later seen by CNN cameras departing the White House at approximately 6 p.m. ET, spending roughly five hours inside the West Wing.
Trump does not mention Iran during afternoon White House event
President Donald Trump made no mention of Iran or his decision to extend the ceasefire during an afternoon event at the White House.
Trump hosted more than 100 NCAA collegiate national champions in the State Dining Room, where he praised the athletes and his administration’s efforts to reshape college athletics.
Shortly before he took the stage, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he planned to extend the ceasefire at Pakistan’s request until Iran’s leadership can present “a unified proposal.”
While he spoke to CNBC this morning, he did not field reporter questions at the White House event.
At recent White House events, Trump has typically provided a brief update on the state of play with Iran, regardless of the topic of the event.
At the end of the event, reporters tried waving Trump over as he left the room. He waved back, but continued walking out.
Senior Iranian leader warns mid-negotiation attacks set a dangerous global precedent
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, a member of Iran’s Interim Leadership Council, warned Tuesday that any attacks on his country that took place while negotiations were ongoing would set a dangerous global precedent.
“If, in the international system, a norm is established that a country can be attacked in the middle of negotiations, then no independent nation will confidently sit at the negotiating table anymore,” Arafi said, according to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB.
He did not specify whether he was referring to a particular incident but Iran has previously claimed the US Navy’s seizure of an Iran-flagged cargo ship on Sunday violated the ceasefire. Earlier Tuesday Iran’s foreign minister had said the US blockade of Iranian ports amounted to an “act of war.”
It came shortly before US President Donald Trump said he would extend the ceasefire until Tehran submits a proposal to end the conflict permanently. Meanwhile, the US blockade of Iranian ports would continue, Trump said.
Ceasefire extension shows Trump's continued focus on a diplomatic solution
President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire extension illustrates that the president is still prioritizing a diplomatic solution, as his administration is hesitant to resume kinetic strikes if a deal is possible.
Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the ceasefire extension that they were waiting for a “unified proposal” from the “seriously fractured” government of Iran.
That reflects a key concern of the administration: US officials have suspected there was a significant divide between Iran’s negotiating team (led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi) and the country’s military leaders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, leading to questions about who can ultimately sign off on a deal.
Now there’s another problem. An extension without an end date removes the pressure on Iran and could allow Tehran to drag out talks, something advisers have warned Trump about in private talks, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Tehran condemns UAE after Abu Dhabi cites Iran ideology in terror arrests
Iran on Tuesday condemned the United Arab Emirates after Abu Dhabi said it had arrested 27 people suspected of belonging to a terrorist organization allegedly linked to Tehran.
The UAE State Security Department said in a statement Monday that it had dismantled a “terrorist organization” and arrested its members over alleged covert activities aimed at undermining national unity and destabilizing the country, including plans to carry out “systematic terrorist and sabotage operations” on the country’s soil.
The statement said investigations had revealed links between the organization and Iran’s “Wilayat al-Faqih” ideology, which is associated with the regime in Tehran.
The UAE state news agency WAM published the suspects’ full names along with mugshots.
The UAE alleged the suspects had pledged “allegiance and loyalty to external parties,” held secret meetings to recruit and mobilize supporters, sought access to sensitive locations, and collected funds through unofficial channels that were transferred to “suspicious external entities.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed the UAE allegations as “baseless” and made on “unfounded pretexts.”
“Raising such unfounded claims and creating anti-Iranian narratives cannot distract public opinion from the direct responsibility of the supporters and backers of the American and Israeli aggressors in the military attack against Iran,” Baghaei said.
Trump says he will extend ceasefire with Iran until negotiations conclude
President Donald Trump says he will extend a ceasefire with Iran until Iran submits a proposal to end the conflict permanently.
“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He said he had directed the American military to “continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able.”
He said the truce, which had been due to expire in the coming hours, would “therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”
Here's what to know as ambiguity swirls around next round of US-Iran peace talks
Iran has still not confirmed whether it will participate in peace talks with the US this week, Pakistani officials said.
It all comes as the clock ticks toward the current ceasefire deadline, which US President Donald Trump declared to be Wednesday evening.
Here’s what we know:
- Vice President JD Vance is at the White House for meetings, along with key negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Vance’s plans to depart for Iran peace talks in Islamabad have been put on hold for now as officials meet to discuss the path forward, sources told CNN.
- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s hesitation over participating in negotiations was “because of contradictory messages, contradictory behaviors, and unacceptable actions by the American side,” Iranian state media reported.
- The US blockade of Iranian ports has contributed to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding a second round of talks between Iranian and American negotiators, according to officials familiar with the matter.
- Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the blockade of Iranian ports amounts to an “act of war” and constitutes a violation of the ceasefire.
- Trump said in an interview with CNBC that he expects to continue bombing Iran if the US and Iran cannot reach a deal to extend the ceasefire by his deadline, saying that the US military is “raring to go.” Trump yesterday said the ceasefire expires “Wednesday evening Washington time,” while Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said it ends at 4:50 a.m. Pakistan time Wednesday (7:50 p.m. ET today).
- The US Defense Department does not yet know how much repairing damaged US bases and facilities in the Middle East will cost. Before the ceasefire, US forces and installations throughout the region were repeatedly targeted and hit by Iranian drones and missiles.
CNN’s Bianna Golodryga spoke today to the Director of Commodity Research at Kpler Matt Smith about how markets are behaving in reaction to developments on the Strait of Hormuz.
CNN’s Aileen Graef, Alejandra Jaramillo, Kevin Liptak, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Haley Britzky and Catherine Nicholls contributed reporting to this post.
Lebanese government isn’t intimidated by Hezbollah, says prime minister
Lebanon’s government isn’t seeking a confrontation with Hezbollah but won’t be intimidated by the Iran-backed militia either, the country’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said today during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Hezbollah’s political bloc has reaffirmed their “cautious commitment” to the fragile ceasefire with Israel, which came into effect late last week, but also criticized the Lebanese government for “adopting a path of concessions and submission to the enemy’s will.”
Earlier today, the ceasefire came under strain when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli forces and Israel targeted Hezbollah rocket launchers in response.
“If I had to summarize in a nutshell the main objective of my government, it would be … to put the state back on its feet,” Salam said. “A sovereign state can’t exist without the arms monopoly.”
The Lebanese government remains committed to diplomatic talks with Israel during this 10-day ceasefire, Salam added ahead of the next round of negotiations scheduled for Thursday in Washington, DC.
During those talks, the country is seeking “the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, a return of Lebanese prisoners … and the return of displaced people back to their homes,” Salam said. Israel has insisted its military will not withdraw from their positions in southern Lebanon during the ceasefire.
Salam’s remarks came after he met with Macron, who committed to assisting the Lebanese government “as much as we can” ahead of their talks with Israel.
