What we're covering
• Plane crash: A US refueling aircraft with five crew on board went down in Iraq. The US military said the incident was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.” It’s not clear yet if any service members were hurt or killed.
• Strait of Hormuz: US President Donald Trump suggested oil tanker crews should “show some guts,” as Iran attacks ships trying to cross the crucial waterway.
• Fresh attacks: Israel said its fighter jets struck 200 targets in Iran, including ballistic missile launchers and defense systems. A strike in northern Israel damaged buildings and injured two. Gulf states have also been repelling attacks. Two foreigners were killed in a drone incident in Oman and explosions were heard in central Dubai.
• Oil shock: The US temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil, while some countries plan to dip into emergency stockpiles. Extremely vulnerable South Asia is feeling the crunch.
Two foreigners killed in drone "crash" in Oman
Two foreigners have been killed in a drone incident in Oman, the country’s defense ministry said on Friday.
A drone “crashed” in the Al-Owhi Industrial Area of the country’s Sohar district “resulting in the deaths of two residents,” the ministry said in a statement.
In a separate incident, another drone “fell in an open area, ” causing no injuries.
It was not clear from the statement if the drones were intercepted or struck their targets.
Iranian war propaganda sent straight to phones amid information blackout
As Iranians grapple with almost two weeks of living with severely limited communication and internet access, some have received a text message purporting to be from the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) telling them Iran is winning the war.
The messages sent directly to some citizens’ phones appears to be part of a wider propaganda push by Iran to portray a state-manufactured reality of the war to the public.
The message frames the war as a “victorious battle” that has almost been won. It is unclear how many people the message was sent to.
Since the start of the war, Iranians have had little access to news from the outside world, with some previously telling CNN’s Leila Gharagozlou the information they do receive makes it difficult to sort out facts from propaganda.
One man said that when the internet shuts down, residents can only access state websites and state news “like North Korea” and they have to “assume the opposite” of what state media is telling them.
How Iran's state media is portraying the war.
Information battle: Iran isn’t alone in waging a propaganda war. Videos of the conflict from US Central Command and the Trump administration showcase American military might while ignoring Iranian casualties. The videos often feel like movie trailers, set to music, and some have been scrutinized for glorifying the war by interspersing video of missile strikes with video games like Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto.
CNN's Jake tapper looks at criticism the White House is facing for posting a social media video that mixes video game, TV show and movie footage with clips of American strikes inside Iran.
One French soldier killed, several wounded in attack on Iraq military base
One French soldier was killed and several others were wounded in an attack on a base in Iraqi Kurdistan which housed soldiers fighting the Islamic State (ISIS), President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday.
“Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Alpine Chasseurs Battalion in Varces died for France during an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq,” Macron said in a post on X, extending “the nation’s deepest sympathy and solidarity.”
Several French soldiers were also wounded in the attack, he said.
“This attack against our forces, engaged in the fight against ISIS since 2015, is unacceptable,” Macron added.
“Their presence in Iraq is strictly within the framework of the fight against terrorism. The war in Iran cannot justify such attacks.”
Earlier, Omed Khoshnaw, governor of Erbil, said a drone attack struck a base used by Kurdish forces and international coalition troops, wounding six French soldiers.
Eyewitness footage published by Reuters news agency showed a joint French-Kurdish base in Iraq up in flames.
But in a statement, Ashab al-Kahf, an Iran-backed militia in Iraq, said “all French interests in Iraq and the region will be under fire and targeted,” without directly claiming responsibility for the incident.
CNN has not independently verified the authenticity of the statement. Iraqi officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Fertilizer shortages due to war could change the mix of Australian crops
The impact of conflict in the Middle East could alter the mix of crops as far away as Australia as farmers grapple with the surging cost of urea, with prices up by about 34% per metric ton in the past month.
The nitrogen fertilizer is crucial for cereal crops like wheat, barley, canola – and leads to higher yields when paired with enough rain during the growing season.
Farmers may try to protect their profits by planting fewer crops that require urea, said agronomist Heath McWhirter from consulting group, Summit Ag.
“There may be a swing for people to grow pulses such as faba beans or lentils, or even soybeans, into the summer, because they don’t need any urea applied to them,” he told CNN.
The National Farmers’ Federation has warned that higher production costs could limit crop yields and lead to rising food prices at the supermarket.
Australia’s last local urea production facility closed in 2022, leaving it exposed to supply disruptions. The country imports about two-thirds of its urea from the Middle East with the rest from Southeast Asia, according to government figures.
Current supplies will last until mid-April, according to a market update from commodity analysts at Argus last week.
“A prolonged war blocking urea exports from the Persian Gulf or leading to higher prices from alternate suppliers could moderate top dressing applications and downgrade Australia’s crop quality and quantity,” Argus said.
About one-third of the world’s exports of urea move through the Strait of Hormuz, as do large supplies of other raw materials needed to make fertilizer.
Iran war causing historic shock to oil markets. How countries are responding
The war in Iran is causing a global fuel crisis as the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy pathways, remains effectively closed to tankers.
The resulting oil shortage and price jumps are forcing countries around the world to limit energy, release reserves and seek out new sources.
Here’s how countries are responding:
• The US, which has long pressured countries not to buy from Moscow, issued a new license Thursday allowing for the temporary purchase of certain Russian oil products.
• Australia is releasing 762 million liters of petrol and diesel from its reserves to ease supply shortages for farmers in rural areas. The country also temporarily relaxed fuel quality standards to allow unleaded petrol with higher sulfur levels to be mixed with local supplies.
• Japan is releasing 80 million barrels of oil, amounting to 45 days of its 254 days worth of reserves, as early as Monday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
• South Korea capped oil prices for the first time in almost 30 years. As of midnight, the price for regular gasoline was capped at 1,724 KRW (about $1.17) per litre, according to the country’s energy ministry.
• India, the world’s most populous nation and a top global importer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), has invoked emergency powers to divert fuel away from industrial users to keep households supplied.
• Millions of Bangladeshis are being told to turn down air conditioning, switch off lights and avoid travel from meetings.
• Pakistan has also announced extreme austerity measures, including school closures and work-from-home policies.
• North Korea’s already fragile fuel supply, which relies on a patchwork of supply lines from China and Russia, could soon be further squeezed if energy prices continue to rise.
• Meanwhile, countries like Spain, Norway and China are likely to see their major investments in renewable energy pay off.
CNN’s Hilary Whiteman, John Liu, Rhea Mogul, Laura Sharman, Will Ripley, Yoonjung Set and Luciana Lopez contributed reporting.
In pictures: buildings damaged in northern Israel following strike
US Air Force plane crashes over Iraq with at least 5 crew on board
A US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker, a refueling aircraft, went down in western Iraq on Thursday, the US military said, adding the incident was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
The statement did not specify whether any US service members were hurt or killed.
“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing,” a release from US Central Command said, using the name the Pentagon has given to US operations against Iran. “Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely. This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
At least five crew members were aboard the tanker that went down, a US official told CNN. The second aircraft that landed safely was also a KC-135, the official said.
The release said more information would become available as “the situation develops” and asked for patience as more details were gathered “to provide clarity for the families of service members.”
Some Asian economies to begin releasing oil reserves. Here's a look at their stockpiles
Japan and South Korea led the way among Asian economies in releasing their strategic reserves to cope with the global energy disruption as the war in Iran widens, choking off the flow of oil and gas from the Middle East to the rest of the world.
Asian countries are particularly vulnerable to oil supply disruptions, as they rely on Gulf nations for 60% of their crude, and most of which is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz – a critical transportation channel effectively shut down by Iran.
Here’s where major Asian economies’ reserves stand:
Japan is releasing 80 million barrels of oil, amounting to 45 days of its 254 days worth of reserves, as early as Monday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said. The decision was made before member countries of the International Energy Agency, which include Japan, agreed to a historic release of a record 400 million barrels of oil from reserves.
South Korea holds 208 days of oil reserves, and its government said it has secured an additional 6 million barrels of crude. Its industry ministry also announced on Wednesday that it will release 22.46 million barrels of oil from its reserves in line with the IEA decision, with the timeline unknown yet.
China holds roughly 1.2 billion barrels of oil, equivalent to about 203 days of its Middle Eastern crude imports, according to Kpler, a global trade analytics firm.
Taiwan maintains a statutory reserve of crude oil for at least 90 days, but only 11 days’ worth of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Its government said it has secured enough LNG supply for March and April, and is working to ensure supply for May.
India is estimated to have oil stockpiles of around 25 days, according to Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief Asia-Pacific economist at French financial services firm Nataxis.
Indonesia has an oil reserve of around 21 days, according to its government.
Thailand holds a 96-day oil reserve, according to the country’s Ministry of Energy on Wednesday.
CNN’s Junko Ogura, Hanako Montgomery, Mike Valerio, Rhea Mogul, Gawon Bae and Trista Kurniawan contributed reporting.
Israel says it struck hundreds of targets in Iran, explosions reported in Tehran
Israeli fighter jets struck more than 200 targets across western and central Iran over the past day, the Israeli military said Friday.
The strikes targeted what the military said were Iranian ballistic missile launchers, defense systems, and weapons production sites.
On Friday morning, several waves of explosions were reported in areas of Tehran, Esfahan and other cities, according to Iranian state media. Defense systems were “clashing with hostile targets over Tehran’s skies,” state-affiliated Mehr News Agency said.
Earlier, residents in some parts of the capital said their houses were shaking due to the intensity of the explosions, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported.
Israel targeted Basij checkpoints in Tehran, ambassador says
The Israeli ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter has confirmed that Israel struck checkpoints linked to Iran’s Basij paramilitary forces in the Iranian capital.
It comes after Iranian state media reported that at least 10 “security defenders” were killed in Israeli drone strikes targeting Basij and IRGC checkpoints in Tehran.
Such checkpoints are scattered across Tehran, administered by the revolutionary guards and the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary group tasked with enforcing Islamic morality among the public and propping up the regime.
Basij volunteers are often plucked from poorer, conservative backgrounds and are often ideologically driven. They are typically on the frontlines of suppressing internal unrest, including during the protests earlier this year.
CNN has contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.
Trump suggests oil tankers should “show some guts” in Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that oil tanker crews should “show some guts,” as Iran attacks tankers trying to cross the crucial Strait of Hormuz and oil prices soar.
The president, asked about the dangers facing the tankers in an interview with Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, said they should “go through the Strait of Hormuz and show some guts.”
Trump said in the interview, set to air Friday morning, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. They have no Navy and we sunk all their ships.”
Shipping industry executives have made regular requests to the US Navy for military escorts, all of which have been rebuffed as the Pentagon has currently deemed them too dangerous to conduct, CNN has reported.
At least 16 oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels have been attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman since the war began two weeks ago, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre. At least one person died and 38 others were rescued after attacks earlier this week.
Iran, which effectively controls the strait, shut it down after US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran almost two weeks ago.
Read more about how the Trump administration underestimated the war’s impact on the strait here.
Explosion heard in Dubai as Gulf states repel new Iranian attacks
Gulf states have been repelling fresh Iranian attacks on Friday morning, with explosions heard in central Dubai as air defenses intercepted a projectile.
Video geolocated by CNN shows a thick plume of smoke rising over skyscrapers in Dubai’s central finance district.
Dubai Media Office said “debris from a successful interception caused a minor incident on the façade of a building in central Dubai,” in a post on X shortly before 8 a.m. local time. No injuries were reported, the media office said.
A short time later the United Arab Emirates’ emergency management authority said it was responding to a missile threat.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said it had intercepted dozens of drones, many of them targeting central and eastern parts of the country. One drone was shot down while approaching Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, where many embassies are located including the US, the ministry said.
Earlier on Friday morning, sirens sounded in Bahrain.
Two weeks into war, Iran threatens to set region's oil "on fire." Here's where things stand
As war in Iran nears the end of the second week, the nation’s new supreme leader vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. Oil prices remain high as the economic fallout deepens and fears over supply chains persist.
Here’s what to know on day 14:
- Oil costs: The US government on Thursday issued a new license allowing countries to temporarily purchase certain Russian oil products. This comes despite previous US pressure on Russian oil companies as part of a bid to stem the flow of cash funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
- Further threats: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned it would set the region’s oil and gas “on fire” if Iranian energy infrastructure and ports are attacked.
- Strikes on Israel: A fresh wave of missiles were launched at Israel early Friday, wounding dozens of people and damaging buildings in the country’s north. Earlier, Iran said it was firing another wave of missiles at Israel, and that Hezbollah had launched a simultaneous attack from southern Lebanon, according to Iranian state media.
- Tehran and Beirut targeted: Heavy explosions were felt in several parts of Tehran on Friday morning, Iranian state media said. Israel also expanded operations targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon late Thursday night, with strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
- Mounting casualties: The toll of civilian deaths and injuries continues to climb, with two academics killed by an Israeli airstrike at a Lebanese university on Thursday, and three Red Crescent aid workers in Iran wounded by an attack early Friday. Close to 2,000 people have been killed in Iran and Lebanon, according to authorities from both countries, with dozens more killed elsewhere in the region.
- French forces attacked: One French soldier was killed and several others wounded in an attack in Iraqi Kurdistan, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday. The drone attack had targeted a base hosting Kurdish forces and international coalition troops, according to the governor of Erbil. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack – but afterward, an Iran-backed militia in Iraq threatened to target French interests in Iraq and the wider region.
The rich are fleeing the Middle East in private jets
Demand for private charter flights out of the Middle East has surged since the beginning of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, with those who can afford it paying astronomical prices to leave the region.
Demand for private charter flights out of the Middle East has surged since the beginning of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, with those who can afford it paying astronomical prices to leave the region.
How countries that have energy self-sufficiency could weather fuel crisis
As fuel shortages escalate worldwide amid the war and many nations scramble to secure energy supplies, countries with greater self-sufficiency could be best equipped to withstand the turmoil.
We take a closer look at countries where investment in renewable energy could prove significant:
In Europe, Spain has rapidly emerged as a leader in renewable energy, with power company Red Eléctrica confirming last year that renewables were generating enough to meet the country’s entire electricity demand. Major investments in solar and wind over the past decade have reduced Spain’s reliance on fossil fuels, making it less vulnerable to fuel shortages and global supply shocks.
However, the Nordic countries are at the forefront, with Norway leading the pack. Around 98% of its electricity is generated from hydro or wind power, according to the European Environment Agency.
In Asia, China is largely energy self-sufficient, installing wind and solar power projects faster than any other country.
The International Energy Agency predicts that by the early 2030s, China’s solar capacity alone will generate more electricity than the total power consumed in the US today. A prime example of China’s renewable energy push is the massive Junma solar farm in Kubuqi desert, where nearly 200,000 solar panels are arranged in rows.
Other countries leading the way in renewable energy include Albania, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Iceland, Nepal, Paraguay and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, each producing over 99.7% of their electricity from solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal sources, according to research by Rated Power.
Iran war oil shock could squeeze North Korea’s already thin fuel supply
North Korea’s fuel supply runs through a system that is both secretive and fragile.
United Nations sanctions sharply limit how much refined petroleum the country can import legally.
To keep its economy running, Pyongyang relies on a patchwork of supply lines including a pipeline from China near the border city of Dandong, shipments tied to Russia and illicit ship to ship transfers at sea.
A significant share of the fuel circulating inside the country also moves through black markets where prices can fluctuate quickly.
The precarious system could soon face new pressure from the global oil shock tied to the war in Iran.
If global prices stay elevated, those increases are likely to eventually reach North Korea through its main suppliers. China and Russia provide much of the fuel that keeps the country moving, meaning higher prices abroad could soon filter into domestic markets.
“The prices they will soon be paying internationally are going to rise,” said Peter Ward, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute. “One would imagine the Chinese and the Russians will pass on fuel price rises as they see fit.”
Once that happens, the effects could ripple widely through the economy.
Diesel powers the aging trucks that haul food and goods between provinces, tractors used in the countryside and fishing fleets along the coast. Fuel is also burned in diesel generators that factories and households rely on when electricity fails.
“If China is getting pinched, then North Korea is going to get pinched,” said Aaron Arnold, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.
Tracking those impacts will not be straightforward. North Korea does not publish reliable economic or fuel data, meaning analysts often rely on clues such as market price reports from inside the country, satellite evidence of illicit oil transfers and anecdotal accounts filtering out through traders and contacts.
If global oil prices remain high, those signals could offer the first hints that the pressure is beginning to reach North Korea’s already strained economy.
US temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian oil stranded at sea as prices rise
The Trump administration on Thursday issued a new license allowing countries to temporarily purchase certain Russian oil products, the same day Brent crude prices settled above $100 per barrel for the first time since August 2022 as the war with Iran drags on.
Temporarily lifting the sanctions on oil from Russia, a major exporter, comes despite previous US pressure on Russian oil companies as part of a bid to stem the flow of cash funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“To increase the global reach of existing supply, @USTreasury is providing a temporary authorization to permit countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote on social media. “This narrowly tailored, short-term measure applies only to oil already in transit and will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, which derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction.”
The license, posted to the US Treasury site, only applies to Russian crude or petroleum products loaded on vessels as of March 12. The license authorizes those shipments through April 11.
Some background: CNN previously reported that the US has granted Indian refiners a 30-day waiver to buy Russian oil currently stranded at sea. Bessent, at the time, said the move was “to enable oil to keep flowing into the global market.”
The war, now in its second week, has seen the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil travels, effectively closed to tanker travel. Oil prices have jumped, and analysts, economists and traders have warned that even a rapid end to the war won’t necessarily mean a quick re-opening of the strait.
Thousands protest in Athens against conflict in the Middle East
Thousands of people marched through central Athens on Thursday towards the US embassy to protest over the war with Iran and military mobilization in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Missile caused "extensive destruction" in northern Israel town
A missile strike caused “extensive destruction” to buildings in a town in northern Israel early on Friday, said an Israel Fire and Rescue commander.
Fire crews responded to a “direct hit by a missile on a structure” in the Arab town of Zarzir that damaged several houses and caused a fire that was later extinguished, Israel Fire and Rescue said.
“There was extensive destruction at the scene and considerable commotion,” fire officer Shay David said in video from the Israel Fire and Rescue.
The missile hit a complex of four houses, David said. Fire crews rescued people trapped in their homes and extinguished several fires in the impact area, he added.
A 34-year-old woman sustained a shrapnel wound to the back has been taken to hospital is in a moderate condition, said Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom. A 17-year-old girl was also injured by broken glass.
The incident came after sirens sounded in northern Israel and the Israeli military said it had detected missiles fired from Iran.
Both Iran and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon have fired projectiles at Israel in recent days.
Iran is attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Here are the latest figures
Iran has been ramping up its strikes against oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels in the Strait of Hormuz as its war with Israel and the US rages on, deepening a historic global energy crisis.
At least 16 oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels have been attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman since the war began two weeks ago, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre.
The UKMTO is an organization led by the British Royal Navy which acts as the primary point of contact for vessels in the Middle East.
At least 8 people have been killed, four are missing, and several others have been wounded in the attacks, which have increased in recent days, according to the International Maritime Organization.
Iran has claimed responsibility for several of the attacks, part of a pressure campaign to increase the economic fallout of the US and Israel’s decision to attack two weeks ago.
Iran’s control of the narrow Strait of Hormuz — through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes — is one of its major advantages in the war.
Tehran has also reportedly mined the strait, further deterring ships from attempting passage.
