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• Get the latest updates on the war with Iran here.
Key developments
• Status of the war: The US will pause “Project Freedom,” the effort aimed at guiding commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said. The announcement came just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the combat operation against Iran has ended and the US would instead focus on Project Freedom.
• Iranian FM in China: Iran’s top diplomat is in Beijing for talks “on regional and international developments” with his Chinese counterpart. It is the first time the foreign ministers of the two allies have met face-to-face since the war began.
• Economic impact: Demand for oil is falling at the fastest rate seen outside the Covid pandemic, as businesses and consumers cut consumption. Global oil stockpiles have also seen their sharpest decline since the Covid-19 pandemic. US gas prices have increased by 50% since the start of the war.
Iranian state media say Trump backed down from "Project Freedom" operation in Strait of Hormuz
Iran touted the “US failure to achieve its objectives in the so-called ‘Freedom Project’” in a statement on INSA, a state-run media outlet, following President Donald Trump’s announcement he was pausing the effort.
The INSA statement said Trump called off the operation “following firm positions and warnings from Iran.”
State-run Tasnim also hailed the move in a post on its Farsi-language account on X, describing it as: “Trump Backs Down.”
In his announcement suspending Project Freedom, Trump cited progress in diplomatic talks as a reason for pausing the program, which aimed to use US military assets to help guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Project Freedom" pause may hint at US and Iran trying to recapture diplomatic initiative
The US pause of “Project Freedom” may hint at the US and Iran trying to recapture some diplomatic initiative after talks between the two sides stalled last month, CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson reports from Islamabad.
Pausing US “kinetic activity” around the Strait of Hormuz could help bring moderate voices in the Iranian regime back to the negotiating table, he said.
More than 600 attacks against US facilities in Iraq during Iran war, senior official says
There were more than 600 attacks against US facilities in Iraq during the active conflict of the Iran war, a senior State Department official said today.
The revelation casts new light on the severity of the barrage by Iran and its proxies against the US interests. CNN has reported on a number of missile and drone attacks targeting the US Embassy in Baghdad, the US Diplomatic Support Center and the US Consulate in Erbil.
The Embassy in Baghdad today again warned that “Iraqi terrorist militias aligned with Iran continue to plot additional attacks against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR).”
“Some elements associated with the Iraqi government continue to actively provide political, financial, and operational cover for these terrorist militias,” a security alert said.
US officials have called on Iraqi leadership, including Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi to crack down on Iranian-backed militias in the country.
The senior State Department official said Tuesday that Iraqi leaders “understand what the United States is looking for.”
Iranian foreign minister meets with top Chinese diplomat in Beijing to discuss "regional and international developments"
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing Wednesday, Chinese state media outlet Xinhua reported.
Araghchi and Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi were set to “discuss bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments,” an earlier statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
Araghchi has been conducting a diplomatic tour in recent weeks to rally international support and resolve the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel.
China is a close partner of Iran, and the biggest buyer of Tehran’s crude oil.
Chinese officials have for weeks worked the diplomatic circuit calling for an end to the conflict. President Donald Trump even suggested Beijing helped get Iran to the negotiating table in recent weeks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier urged China to tell Araghchi Iran’s actions are causing the country to be “globally isolated.”
The Iranian official’s arrival in Beijing comes about a week ahead of Trump’s planned visit to China, where he is expected to have a rare in-person meeting with leader Xi Jinping.
Cargo vessel in Strait of Hormuz struck by projectile, maritime agency says
A cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by an unknown projectile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) reported early Wednesday local time, citing a “verified source.” The environmental impact was not known at the time of the report.
The UKMTO did not say at what time the vessel had reportedly been hit. It did not state which country the vessel is registered with or give any details on its crew.
Trump's latest move suggests a diplomatic resolution may still be on the table
President Donald Trump has made so many later-debunked claims about the Iran war, its purportedly imminent end, and a supposedly overwhelming US victory that it’s impossible to evaluate the credibility of his latest announcement.
But his pausing of “Project Freedom” — a naval effort aimed at guiding commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz — will fuel optimism that a diplomatic effort led by Pakistan to end the conflict is still alive.
When exchanges of fire between US and Iranian forces in the strait on Monday did not reignite the war, it signaled that neither side wanted full-scale fighting to resume.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters today that the major military campaign, “Operation Epic Fury,” had ended — further fueling hopes of a deescalation.
It’s probably not a coincidence that Trump is due to head to China next week in the most consequential trip yet of his second term. Beijing is an Iranian ally and its economy is exposed to a slowing of oil through the strait.
But time will tell what this really means.
As it stands, Iran’s hardline leaders are in control; it has not agreed to end its nuclear program; and it has closed the strait and held the global economy hostage. It is giving every impression that it believes it has the upper hand.
What happens next may depend on whether Trump and Iran are prepared to offer each other a face-saving exit.
Trump says "Project Freedom" will be paused
President Donald Trump said the United States will temporarily pause its operation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz while maintaining the blockade, claiming that “Great Progress had been toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran.”
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The operation, which Trump had announced Sunday evening, took effect Monday. Soon after, the US and Iranian militaries traded shots and accusations, raising questions about the fragile ceasefire.
But Trump administration officials insisted on Tuesday the ceasefire wasn’t over and spent the day touting the new operation to guide ships through the strait.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who said combat operations launched against Iran in February had concluded — told reporters at the White House that the US was focused on the new operation, which he described as the “first step” toward fully reopening the critical waterway.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a morning briefing that the effort was “separate and distinct” from the ongoing military operation in the region.
“Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission: Protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression,” he said.
Marco Rubio and Russian counterpart discussed Iran, US State Department says
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about Iran, as well as bilateral relations and the war in Ukraine, according to a brief readout from the US State Department.
The call was held at the Russian foreign minister’s request, the State Department said, and comes less than a week after President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war and on the cusp of a Ukrainian-proposed ceasefire.
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not specify that Iran was discussed. It said in a statement that the two “exchanged views on the current situation in international affairs and Russian-American relations, and discussed the schedule of bilateral contacts.” The foreign ministry described the conversation as “constructive and businesslike.”
Following the lengthy call last week, Trump said his Russian counterpart offered to assist in the war with Iran, specifically in relation to enriched uranium.
Secretary of State Rubio said military operation in Iran is over. Here are the key lines
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke at a White House press briefing Tuesday and said that the combat operation launched in February against Iran has ended. He suggested that America’s priority now was guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a press conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said operation Epic Fury "is over." The combat operation launched in February against Iran has ended, Rubio said definitively, suggesting the American priority now was reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Here are the most notable lines from his briefing:
- Rubio deemed US military action in Iran during the ceasefire a “defensive operation,” as the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz continues and the US said Monday it shot down multiple Iranian boats.
- He also defended US efforts to economically pressure Iran through sanctions and a maritime blockade, arguing the measures are necessary to protect global commerce and civilian shipping.
- Iran’s control over the strait should not be normalized, he said while criticizing Tehran for blocking the critical waterway and trying to force other nations to pay to transit the strait.
- As Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visits Beijing, Rubio urged China to directly convey to him that continued hostility in the waterway will cause Tehran to be “globally isolated.”
- Rubio said multiple countries have expressed willingness to support “Project Freedom,” a US-led effort to secure maritime navigation through the strait, but he declined to identify which nations.
What Donald Trump has said: We’ve also heard from the US president today. He did not rule out resuming a bombing campaign if necessary. He downplayed the impact of Iran war on American consumers, and justified spiking oil prices as a “small price to pay” to eliminate Iran’s efforts to get a nuclear weapon. Trump asserted that “nobody” will challenge the US blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports and expressed hope that Tehran’s financial system will fail.
Meanwhile, Iran launched a new mechanism to govern maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy again warned that any ships intending to transit the strait could be met with “decisive action.”
CNN’s Betsy Klein, Kit Maher, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Kevin Liptak, Mitchell McCluskey and Alejandra Jaramillo contributed to this report.
Iran’s Foreign Minister heads to Beijing for talks with Chinese counterpart
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to travel to Beijing “as part of ongoing diplomatic consultations with various countries,” according to a statement issued by the ministry on Tuesday.
During the visit, Araghchi is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart for talks on bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments, the statement said without providing further details.
Araghchi has been conducting a high-stakes diplomatic tour in recent weeks to rally international support and resolve the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on its website that Araghchi would visit China “upon invitation on May 6” and hold talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi.
Kentucky provides relief to drivers as prices soar at the pump
Kentucky is freezing its gas tax and looking to take other steps to give drivers a break at the pump as gas prices continue to skyrocket.
Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, signed an emergency regulation today to keep the gas tax at 26.4 cents per gallon, averting an expected increase to 27 cents per gallon on July 1. The move is expected to save drivers a total of about $1.7 million a month, according to the governor’s office.
The governor also signed an executive order freezing the motor vehicle assessment rate ahead of an expected increase on January 1. That means Kentuckians won’t see their vehicle property tax rise next year.
For context: In Kentucky, a gallon of gas cost an average of $4.28 on April 5, up from $3.97 a week ago and $3.91 a month ago, according to AAA.
Georgia and Indiana, who have Republican governors, have recently enacted temporary gas tax holidays to aid drivers in their states.
Passage of US-backed resolution on strait is "a real test for the UN," according to Rubio
Whether the United Nations passes a US-backed draft Security Council resolution on the Strait of Hormuz is a “real test for the UN,” according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The United States — in conjunction with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar — has drafted a UN Security Council resolution that “requires Iran to cease attacks, mining, and tolling,” according to an earlier written statement from Rubio. “It demands that Iran disclose the number and location of the sea mines it has laid and cooperate with efforts to remove them, while also supporting the establishment of a humanitarian corridor.”
A UNSC resolution led by Bahrain on the Strait of Hormuz was vetoed by China and Russia last month.
Speaking at a White House briefing earlier, Rubio said the draft resolution is “a very modest request.”
He said it is in the interest of Russia and China “for that resolution to pass and for pressure to be brought on Iran, because it is in their interest not to see international waterways, including the straits of Hormuz, be closed down and cause economic chaos to dozens and dozens of countries around the world.”
Rubio says some in Iran’s government don't care that Iranian people are suffering
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Tehran’s ability to withstand the current US pressure campaign against Iran is because “they don’t care their people are suffering.”
Asked by a reporter about what he believes will bring Iran to the table and for Tehran to clearly give up nuclear ambitions, Rubio said, “Look, they’re suffering devastating damage to their economy. You’re right, it’s not that they’re able to withstand pressure; it’s that they don’t care their people are suffering. You understand, right?”
Rubio said that there’s a difference between “‘we can withstand pressure’ and ‘we actually don’t care.’”
He said that while he believes there are elected officials within Iran’s government that “care more than others,” there is also another element like “the clerics, the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) types who are probably more immune to that and care less.”
“But ultimately the pressure points are what they are,” Rubio said.
Rubio downplays impact of Iran war on gas prices
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the direct impact of the Iran war on rising gas prices, as Americans are paying 50% more at the pump than before the conflict began.
“It’s obviously being driven by global events,” Rubio told reporters at a White House press briefing Tuesday afternoon. “That was true during the Russia-Ukraine war as well.”
With gas now $4.50 per gallon on average across the US, Rubio said other parts of the world “are really suffering big time” and the US is “more insulated than other countries.”
He went on to argue that Iran must not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon because the threat could lead to even higher gas prices.
“If Iran had a nuclear weapon and they decided to close the [Strait of Hormuz] and make our gas prices like $9 a gallon or $8 a gallon, we wouldn’t be able to do anything about it, because they have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Rubio says other countries willing to help in "Project Freedom" but declines to name them
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said multiple countries have expressed willingness, both publicly and privately, to support “Project Freedom,” a US-led effort to secure maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but declined to identify which nations.
“Multiple countries have said we got to do something about it and fix it,” Rubio told reporters at the White House when pressed on how many countries have offered assistance and what capabilities they could provide.
“A lot of countries are left to do something about it,” he said, adding that not all have navies and some that do “are saying, ‘Oh, we’ll be involved, but we’ll be involved after it’s over.’”
Rubio suggested some nations may contribute in less visible ways but emphasized the sensitivity of disclosing details.
“But there are other ways they can help, unique ways that they can help. And I don’t want to get into who these countries are, for obvious reasons,” he said.
Rubio emphasized that the US will shoulder the bulk of the operation.
“I don’t want to mislead you, the primary responsibility for this Project Freedom is on the United States, because we’re the only country that can project power in that part of the world the way we’re doing now,” he said.
“This is a favor to the world because it’s their ships that are stranded.”
Rubio urges China to convey message to Iran: "You're the bad guy in this"
Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China to directly convey to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is traveling to Beijing, that continued hostility in the Strait of Hormuz will cause Tehran to be “globally isolated.”
“I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told, and that is that what you are doing in the straits is causing you to be globally isolated. You’re the bad guy in this. You guys should not be blowing up ships. You should not be putting mines,” Rubio said, accusing Iran of “trying to hold hostage the global economy.”
Araghchi’s visit to China comes ahead of President Donald Trump’s trip there next week. From a trade standpoint, Rubio argued that China and the United States mutually benefit from stopping Iran.
“It’s obvious China is an export-driven economy. That means they depend on other countries to buy from them. Well, you can’t buy from them if you can’t ship it there, and you can’t buy from them if your economy is being destroyed by what Iran is doing,” Rubio said. “It is in China’s interest that Iran stop closing the straits; it’s harming China as well.”
While Rubio deferred to the US Treasury Department on questions about sanctions, he warned China will pay consequences if it ignores them.
Rubio: US trying to understand what Iran is willing to negotiate on
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that US representatives are working to gain “some level of understanding” of what topics Tehran is willing to negotiate on – and a deal, at least at first, might just involve high-level points of understanding.
“We don’t have to have the actual agreement written out,” Rubio said, adding, “but we have to have a diplomatic solution that is very clear about the topics that they are willing to negotiate on and the extent and the concessions they’re willing to make at the front end in order to make those talks worthwhile.”
Rubio said that even though Iran has “always said they don’t want a nuclear weapon … they just don’t mean it.”
He accused Tehran of “doing all the things” that a country does if they “want a nuclear weapons program.” He noted Iran’s push to innovate “long range delivery missiles” and its building underground centrifuges for enrichment activity.
Rubio said that Tehran now has an opportunity to “make it clear” that they do not want a nuclear weapon.
Rubio says Iran would “hold the world hostage” with a nuclear weapon
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran would “hold the world hostage” with a nuclear weapon and that “someone has to do something about it.”
“They would do exactly to the world with a nuclear weapon what they’re doing now with the [Strait of Hormuz],” Rubio told reporters Tuesday.
The top US diplomat said President Donald Trump finds it “puzzling” that “anyone cannot see that as an unacceptable outcome and an unacceptable risk.”
Some context: Iran’s nuclear capabilities remain a major sticking point in peace talks. Trump is demanding guarantees on Tehran curbing its nuclear program, while Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.
“At this moment, there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will be no nuclear weapons,” Trump said last week.
Military operation launched in February against Iran is "over," Rubio says
The combat operation launched in February against Iran has ended, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said definitively Tuesday, suggesting the American priority now was reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“The operation is over. Epic Fury, as the president notified Congress, we’re done with that stage of it,” Rubio said during a White House briefing, adding: “We achieved the objectives of that operation.”
“We’re now on to this Project Freedom,” he went on, referring to Trump’s initiative to guide merchant vessels through the strait. He added later: “That’s what we’re undergoing now. What they may lead to in the future is speculative.”
The White House notified Congress last week that hostilities against Iran had been “terminated” as it reached a 60-day threshold that would require formal authorization from lawmakers.
Trump, however, has not ruled out resuming a bombing campaign if negotiations collapse or Iran breaks the current ceasefire.
Questions about Iran’s nuclear program — including its stockpile of highly enriched uranium — will be resolved through talks, Rubio said.
“As far as a negotiation is concerned, I think the president’s been clear that part of the negotiation process has to be not just the enrichment, but what happens to this material that’s very deep somewhere,” he said.
“I don’t want to endanger the negotiations, but suffice it to say that the president and this entire team is aware of the centrality of that question, and that will have to be addressed one way or here,” he said.
