What to know
• War with Iran: The US is planning new strikes on Iran as soon as this weekend, officials said. The precise scope of the strikes and potential targets were not clear, and officials cautioned the strikes could still be called off. President Donald Trump signaled the plan Friday, saying “we’ll be hitting them very hard.”
• Latest attacks: Kuwaiti authorities said they faced fresh Iranian drone attacks early Saturday, but no casualties were reported. And a tanker off the coast of Oman was hit by “an unknown projectile” near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UK’s maritime agency. It was not immediately clear who was responsible.
• In Gaza: Meanwhile, Israeli strikes left a huge crater at a hospital in the Palestinian enclave less than 48 hours after Trump announced a potential breakthrough in Israel-Hamas peace efforts, casting further uncertainty on the new agreement.
US warns citizens amid heightened Middle East tensions, as Israel strikes Gaza. Catch up
US diplomatic officials have renewed their warnings to American citizens in the Middle East, saying they should exercise caution and vigilance amid heightened tensions in the region. Meanwhile, Kuwait said it intercepted Iranian drone attacks early Saturday.
Here’s a look at the latest from around the region:
- The US is planning fresh strikes on Iran as soon as this weekend, two sources said. The precise scope of the bombing was not initially clear, and officials cautioned the strikes could still be called off.
- Iran has issued another warning to Gulf states that host American military bases, with Major Gen. Ali Abdollahi threatening that nations cooperating with the US “will burn in the fires of war.”
- Israeli strikes on Gaza left a huge crater at a hospital overnight, local authorities said, days after US President Donald Trump announced that Hamas and Israel had agreed to advance a ceasefire plan.
- Kuwait’s armed forces intercepted drone threats in its airspace early Saturday morning local time, the country’s defense ministry said.
- A tanker was hit by “an unknown projectile” near the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported.
- And a merchant vessel safely transited through the Red Sea under the protection of the Italian frigate Bergamini, the EU naval force ASPIDES said today.
CNN’s Ibrahim Daham, Brad Lendon, Aida Karimi, Kevin Liptak, Zachary Cohen, Katie Bo Lillis and Tal Shalev contributed reporting.
Israeli strike leaves huge crater at Gaza hospital amid uncertainty over Trump plan
Israeli strikes on Gaza left a huge crater at a hospital less than 48 hours after US President Donald Trump announced Hamas and Israel had agreed to advance a ceasefire plan, local authorities said.
Gaza’s health ministry said the attack destroyed vital medical supplies.
“When medicines are bombed … illness becomes a weapon of war,” Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, the ministry’s director general, said in a statement.
The strike demolished two medical warehouses at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and damaged two others, the health ministry said. The director general added a nearby displacement camp was leveled and civilian tents suffered extensive damage.
The Israeli military said they targeted Hamas militants but would give further detail in a later statement.
Footage from the scene shows people sifting through the large cavity, attempting to salvage medical supplies like IV fluids, breathing tubes, surgical masks and cotton balls buried amid the debris.
“Destroying a medical warehouse while Gaza’s health system is already suffering from a 51% shortage of essential medicines … is a direct assault on one of the last remaining lifelines of healthcare,” Bursh said.
In the past two days, eight civilians have been killed while a further 76 have sustained injuries, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Saturday. More than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the announcement of the ceasefire agreement in October last year.
For context: The latest strikes come shortly after Trump announced Thursday evening that Hamas had agreed to “completely disarm” along with an Israeli troop withdrawal. While the move marked progress in the long-stagnant roadmap to peace initiated by Trump’s Board of Peace last year substantial issues need to be resolved first.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is yet to comment on Trump’s announcement but an Israeli official told CNN Israel would not withdraw from Gaza without Hamas disarming first.
A frustrated Trump seeks an Iran war exit amid conflicting messages
Just past 10 a.m. on Wednesday, a delegation of Saudi officials arrived at the West Wing carrying a message for the White House.
Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, on an unannounced visit to Washington, conveyed word to both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance from his brother, the kingdom’s powerful crown prince, that Saudi Arabia wants the Iran war to deescalate — and that prolonging the conflict carries major risks, according to people familiar with the conversations.
A day earlier, another emissary had arrived through the same door with a different message. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sitting with Trump in the Oval Office, voiced skepticism that diplomacy with Iran would prove fruitful, according to Israeli officials. Instead, the two discussed options for pressuring Iran, including renewing a full-scale war, those officials said.
The back-to-back meetings this week were scheduled coincidentally. But they nonetheless underscore the crosscurrents facing Trump as he seeks an exit ramp to a conflict that has extended well past his deadline.
As pressure mounts from fellow Republicans to wind the war down, it actually appears to be expanding, with new fronts opening up and virtually every country in the region now drawn in. Efforts at diplomacy are halting at best; a senior US official said resuming direct diplomacy with Iran does not appear imminent.
Read more here on Trump’s conflicting messages and path to a possible exit.
EU naval force says merchant vessel safely escorted through Red Sea by Italian frigate
A merchant vessel has safely transited through the Red Sea under the protection of the Italian frigate Bergamini, the EU naval force ASPIDES said today.
ASPIDES is a defensive military operation that contributes support in safeguarding the passage of merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.
Some context: Shipping through critical waterways in the region has been heavily depressed since the conflict between the US and Iran began earlier this year, due to security threats risking safe passage.
Transits of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait — a slim waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf and by extension the Indian Ocean — have fallen by around one-fifth, since the Iran-backed Houthi rebels began to apply pressure in the narrow channel between Yemen and Djibouti.
CNN’s Avery Schmitz contributed reporting to this post.
Kuwait intercepts drone attacks targeting its infrastructure
Kuwait’s armed forces intercepted drone threats in its airspace early Saturday morning local time, a defense ministry spokesperson said.
The attacks, which Kuwaiti authorities said were “Iranian aggression,” struck a government facility in the northern part of the country, as well as civilian vehicles, the spokesperson said in a statement. No casualties were reported, but the attacks resulted in some material damage caused by falling debris, the statement added.
The General Staff of the Army earlier told residents in an update on X to follow safety instructions and that any explosions heard were the results of interceptions.
Kuwaiti infrastructure and US military facilities in the country have been targets of previous Iranian attacks.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Catch up: US plans to strike Iran and the latest on the Gaza agreement
The United States on Friday announced plans to strike Iran as soon as this weekend, according to two US officials. The precise scope of the strikes and potential targets were unclear, and the officials cautioned the strikes could be called off.
This announcement comes after President Donald Trump signaled that US strikes on Iran are unlikely to end anytime soon, saying at a Cabinet meeting that “we’ll be hitting them very hard.”
Where things stand:
War with Iran
- No new strikes announced overnight: US Central Command did not announce it was launching strikes against Iran on Thursday and Friday. Earlier in the week, the US said it launched a “heavy wave of strikes” as a retaliatory response to Iran’s attempted attack on US military positions the previous day.
- Ship attack: A tanker was hit by “an unknown projectile” near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. It’s unclear who was responsible for the attack.
- Cyberattack blame: Trump downplayed reports that Iran was responsible for a recent cyberattack on critical infrastructure in Minnesota, instead taking aim at the state’s Democratic-led government.
- Attacks in Lebanon: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of breaching Lebanon’s sovereignty amid Israeli attacks in the south of the country. He also called the attacks a “clear violation of the ceasefire.”
Gaza plan
- Roadmap: The US-backed Board of Peace, tasked with overseeing a long-term peace settlement in Gaza, issued a revised 15-point ceasefire roadmap. The US had an “understanding” with Israel to begin implementing a peace deal in Gaza, Trump said. He stopped short of detailing the sequence of the complicated reciprocal steps.
- What Israel has said: Earlier Friday, an Israeli official rejected key elements of the reported framework, stressing that “complete disarmament” of Hamas remained a precondition for any process. There would be no Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza “yellow line,” the official said, until demilitarization is completed.
- What Hamas has said: Meantime, senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad told CNN that Israel must first cease fire, stop all targeted killings in Gaza, withdraw its troops to the “yellow line” and allow for a surge of humanitarian aid consistent with the October ceasefire agreement.
- UN chief’s reaction: The announced agreement is “the only good news in recent days,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, and he called for fighting on “all fronts” in the region to stop.
CNN’s Brad Lendon, Zachary Cohen, Katie Bo Lilis, Tal Shalev, Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak, Billy Stockwell, Ibrahim Dahman, Michael Rios and Eyad Kourdi contributed reporting.
UKMTO: Tanker hit by projectile off Oman
A tanker was attacked off the coast of Oman near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Friday report received by a British maritime monitor.
The ship was hit by “an unknown projectile,” which caused damage to its engine room, according to the report from the Royal Navy-sponsored United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The tanker, which was not named, was hit about 12 miles (20 kilometers) northeast of Lima, Oman, on the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz, the UKMTO said, adding that the ship was not under command and no casualties were reported.
The UKMTO did not say who was responsible for the attack.
In a separate UKMTO update on Saturday, the master of a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman reported seeing a splash and explosion nearby. No casualties or damage on the vessel were reported, and the ship was not identified. It’s unclear if the two incidents were related.
The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Bagher Zolqadr, said Friday that Tehran would tighten its declared closure of the strait due to a United States blockade of shipping traffic from or to Iranian ports, according to Iran’s state-run Press TV.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been cut drastically from pre-war levels of around 130 ships per day to only a handful now.
This post has been updated with additional information.
US planning fresh strikes on Iran as soon as this weekend, US officials say
The United States is planning fresh strikes on Iran as soon as this weekend as President Donald Trump seeks a resolution to the war, according to two US officials familiar with the plans.
The precise scope of the strikes, and potential targets the US may go after, were not clear, and both officials cautioned the strikes could be called off.
Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting earlier Friday, previewed a renewal of heavy strikes while venting anger at diplomatic efforts that have fallen short.
US Central Command has prepared options and readied its forces for expanding the war, including a heavy 2-week bombardment of Iran’s missile sites.
There has also been planning around options that would target energy sites, the officials said.
The Trump administration has been leery of striking Iran’s energy infrastructure over concern that Tehran could retaliate against Gulf infrastructure sites and shock global energy markets already under strain from the war.
Earlier this week, the Israeli Defense Minister said the country’s leadership wanted to strike Iranian energy infrastructure as a means of causing even more economic pressure on Iran. “We very much want to strike Iran’s energy targets — the US is not approving it at this time,” Israel Katz said.
There is no indication Israel would take part in a new wave of US strikes on Iran.
And the US military has made preparations to launch a series of strikes targeting Iranian nuclear infrastructure to include Pickaxe Mountain, though not specifically limited to that site, south of Tehran. Those preparations have picked up momentum in the last few days, the officials said.
Asked about reports Trump had ordered a new round of weekend strikes, the White House said the president would not “stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur.”
What to know about the ceasefire roadmap for Gaza
Hamas has for the first time agreed to a specific plan to hand over its weapons in Gaza. But a senior Hamas official told CNN the group will only disarm if Israel upholds its end of the ceasefire agreement. CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports.
The US-backed Board of Peace, tasked with overseeing a long-term peace settlement in Gaza, issued a revised 15-point ceasefire roadmap on Friday.
The new plan has fewer points than the initial 20-point proposal released by US President Donald Trump last year, which has gone through various iterations since. The new roadmap offers fresh insight into the disarmament of Hamas, and how it could work:
- According to the roadmap, all police weapons must be transferred into the hands of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a Palestinian body tasked with governing Gaza, after it enters the territory.
- Personal weapons shall be subject to relevant Palestinian laws, overseen by NCAG, the plan said.
- Meanwhile, weapons owned by militias, who will not be integrated into Gaza’s new police or security services, shall be “decommissioned and stored under NCAG authority.”
- A “process” to decommission and store heavy weapons, military production sites and tunnels will begin in Gaza after NCAG’s entry into the territory and the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF), among other conditions, per the plan.
- This process shall be “linked to an Israeli withdrawal, in phases, from the areas under its control in Gaza,” the roadmap said.
- No weapons shall be transferred or handed to Israel or non-Palestinian parties, and at the end of the process, only NCAG shall store and control weapons in Gaza, the plan said.
- The proposal also includes a commitment to end military parades and armed demonstrations.
However: Before any of this revised roadmap can happen, various steps must be completed. All parties must reaffirm their commitment to Trump’s plan, which – the roadmap said – is aimed at securing full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and enabling Palestinian governance, reconstruction, security, recovery and economic development.
To move to phase two of the deal, all requirements of the first phase must have been met and verified, and a timetable for the implementation of the second phase must have be agreed upon, according to the proposal. Only then can NCAG enter the Gaza Strip and “assume its responsibilities.”
Trump downplays possible Iran link to cyberattack on water systems in several US states
President Donald Trump downplayed reports that Iran was responsible for a recent cyberattack on critical infrastructure in Minnesota, instead taking aim at the state’s Democratic-led government.
CNN has reported that hackers have targeted water systems in several US states, including Minnesota, in a coordinated cyberattack that has caused some utilities to issue boil-water notices and switch to manual mode, taking their systems offline, according to US officials.
Federal and state officials are treating Iran as one of the suspects behind the hack, but have not made a formal determination of who is responsible and are wary of false flags.
The president dismissed any connection to Iran, instead using the opportunity to lash out at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic nominee for vice president with whom Trump has long publicly tangled.
“I would blame it on Minnesota and the governor, the corrupt governor of Minnesota. They like to say, ‘Oh, it was Iran.’ Iran should be so lucky. Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota,” Trump said.
CNN’s Sean Lyngaas contributed to this report.
Trump is seeking an exit from war and is getting conflicting messages along the way
Back-to-back meetings with US President Donald Trump and an array of international officials’ visits were scheduled this week coincidentally. But they nonetheless underscore the crosscurrents facing Trump as he seeks an exit ramp to a conflict that has extended well past his deadline.
As pressure mounts from fellow Republicans to wind the war down, it actually appears to be expanding, with new fronts opening up and virtually every country in the region now drawn in. Efforts at diplomacy are halting at best; a senior US official said resuming direct diplomacy with Iran does not appear imminent.
Despite Trump’s claims Iran is “begging” for a deal to end the violence, some US officials fear regime figures appear more committed than ever to wielding leverage over the Strait of Hormuz and firing missiles toward American troops.
Trump has grown frustrated at Tehran’s unwillingness to bend to his demands, leading to angry meetings behind the scenes and expletive-laced phone calls to his allies, according to US officials. He convened his Cabinet on Friday at Camp David, perhaps hoping to seize inspiration from the retreat’s past role in successful Middle East diplomacy.
“I think we just want to win,” the president said when asked how he planned to revive the stalled diplomatic efforts, offering few clues of how he intends to proceed. “They’ll get weaker. They’ll get a little stronger maybe now. Then they’ll get weaker. And then they’ll peter out.”
The ongoing threats from Iran have forced Trump to alter his own plans, most notably a swap in Air Force One aircraft on his return trip from Turkey earlier this month. The change was made amid ramped up threats from neighboring Iran, according to officials, and subsequent coverage of the issue infuriated and embarrassed the president.
Many of Trump’s allies are now worried the Iran war is threatening to engulf his presidency entirely, and with it, Republicans’ chances in upcoming midterm elections, according to some GOP operatives. A CNN survey this week found only 28% of Americans approved of his handling of the war.
Trump announces Gaza breakthrough, but significant challenges lie ahead
Hamas has for the first time agreed to a specific plan to hand over its weapons in Gaza. But a senior Hamas official told CNN the group will only disarm if Israel upholds its end of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas has never agreed to a specific disarmament plan before and, if it does come to pass, it would represent a critical step in implementing a lasting peace in Gaza, following a brutal years-long war which has decimated the enclave.
But, as in every diplomatic agreement, it is the details and proposed sequencing of steps that matter. And the reactions from Hamas and Israel suggest this process might not be as simple as Trump indicated in a Truth Social post on Thursday.
The “Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” Trump said. As that is completed, “Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza,” he wrote.
Some cautious optimism was present in the international community and among Gazans who spoke to CNN on Friday. But reaching a lasting peace deal in Gaza comes with significant challenges.
What to know about the Board of Peace, which is overseeing Gaza’s transitional governance
A senior Hamas official confirmed to CNN on Friday that Hamas reached an agreement with the Board of Peace to relinquish its weapons, subject to Israeli actions.
But what exactly is the Board of Peace?
Remember: Trump had initially floated the Board of Peace as part of a second phase of the US-brokered 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan in September.
The United Nations Security Council backed the plan in November — giving it international legitimacy — with a mandate for the board to oversee the demilitarization and rebuilding of Gaza.
But Trump had longer-term plans. The charter draft, obtained by CNN, describes the Board of Peace as an “international organization” promoting stability, peace and governance “in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
Trump will serve as chairman of the board indefinitely, according to the charter, possibly holding the post beyond his second term as president.
Its members include: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and several other world leaders.
The Board of Peace will also sit above a “founding Executive Board” that includes Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and former British prime minister Tony Blair.
Early this month, the board wrapped up two days of what it called “highly productive” meetings in Cyprus. The meetings — which included experts, advisers and the Palestinian technocratic committee intended to run Gaza — focused on “what can be done immediately” to “ease conditions on the ground.” The group said it reviewed plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, security and governance.
CNN’s Mustafa Qadri, Tal Shalev and Ibrahim Dahman contributed to this report.
