Here's the latest
• Strait of Hormuz: President Donald Trump urged China and US allies to help with disruptions on the strait. He claimed there’s been “some positive response” for help and warned that NATO faces a “very bad” future if allies fail to assist.
• Countries react: Several countries have reacted to Trump’s call to help with the Strait of Hormuz crisis, but none have yet committed to sending warships.
• Regional strikes: Israel announced “limited” ground operations in southern Lebanon as airstrikes rocked Beirut’s suburbs. In Iran, smoke billowed over Tehran as state media reported loud booms. Meanwhile, one person was killed in Abu Dhabi after a missile hit a vehicle.
• Oil prices spike: EU energy ministers are meeting Monday to discuss how to curb rising energy costs. The price of oil Sunday rose to its highest level since July 2022.
EU members to discuss how to reopen Strait of Hormuz, foreign policy chief says
It’s in Europe’s “interest” to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and member states will discuss what they can do, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Monday ahead of a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.
“It is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and that’s why we are also discussing what we can do in this regard,” Kallas told reporters.
“From the European side, we have been in touch with the US colleagues on different levels on this but of course, the situation is very volatile,” she added.
Her comments came as President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on US allies to send ships to help secure the strait, warning that NATO faces a “very bad” future if countries fail to assist.
Kallas said that “it is out of NATO’s area of action.”
“There are no NATO countries in the Strait of Hormuz,” she said.
At least 1 killed in Abu Dhabi after missile strikes vehicle, authorities say
One person has been killed after a missile landed on a vehicle in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, officials said Monday.
In an X post shortly before 11a.m. local time, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said a missile fell on a civilian vehicle in the Al Bahyah area, and it identified the victim as Palestinian.
It is not clear whether the missile was intercepted or struck its target.
Earlier that morning, Abu Dhabi Police said air defense systems were dealing with a missile threat and urged residents to stay in a safe place.
Democratic leader says House will vote on war powers resolution again today
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said once back in session today, the US House of Representatives will vote on a war powers resolution to rein in President Donald Trump’s authority to engage in the war with Iran.
“We brought a war powers resolution to the floor of the Congress that fell a few votes short when we were in session earlier this month. Upon our return, we’ll continue to do the same thing,” Jeffries told MS NOW yesterday.
Jeffries said some of the Democrats who voted against the resolution have expressed that they would now be in favor.
“Several of them have indicated that the next time we bring such a resolution to the floor, they will be prepared to support it,” Jeffries said. Four House Democrats voted against the last resolution.
See how each House member voted on the measure earlier this month.
Strikes rock Middle East as fire near Dubai airport disrupts flights. Here are the headlines
Fresh strikes hit Middle East nations on Monday while major air hub Dubai International Airport suspended flights for several hours following a nearby fire — as the conflict enters day 17.
Catch up on the headlines:
Fresh attacks: Thick smoke was billowing over Tehran as Iranian state media reported loud booms in the capital. Several airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon. In the UAE, a fuel tank caught fire near Dubai International Airport, temporarily disrupting flights. Emirates later said it would resume limited flights from the airport.
Israel puts troops in Lebanon: The Israeli military said it began “limited and targeted ground operations” against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.
California oil pipeline: President Donald Trump has invoked executive authority to restart a controversial oil pipeline off California’s coast. The energy department said the order intends to “address supply disruption risks,” and reduce the US’s reliance on foreign oil, of which a significant share travels through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the start of the war.
Thai crew head home: 20 crew members rescued from a Thai cargo ship that was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz last week have arrived safely in Bangkok. At least three crew members remain missing.
Oil prices up: The price of oil rose to its highest level since July 2022 Sunday evening. Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 2.9% to about $106.12 a barrel. US oil rose 2.6% to $101.53.
Limited flights to resume from Dubai airport after 4-hour shutdown sparked by drone "incident"
A limited number of flights from Dubai International Airport are to resume after a fuel tank fire, sparked during a drone incursion, suspended operations early on Monday.
Large flames could be seen leaping into the air near the airport, before the fire was eventually brought under control.
A number of flights were canceled, while others were delayed and diverted, when the country’s aviation authority closed the airport.
Flights from the UK, Ireland, India, and Pakistan were turned back to their points of origin, Flightradar24 maps showed earlier.
Some flights were expected to resume from 10 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET), said Emirates, which has its global headquarters in Dubai.
Raj Dholakia told CNN he was at Dubai airport waiting to board a flight home to Toronto, via New York, when authorities evacuated the entire floor covering three gates.
“The escalator was full and even lifts were being used,” he added, speaking from the assembly point, where he estimated up to 1,000 passengers had gathered.
With seating scarce, some people sat on the floor, Dholakia said. He added that many passengers may have been waiting in planes on the runway, as departure boards still listed a dozen flights as “gate closed,” “final call,” or “boarding.”
Travelers were advised to contact their airlines for the latest updates regarding their flight.
The fuel tank fire was “successfully contained” and no injuries were reported from the drone “impact,” the Dubai Media Office said earlier.
Some flights are now being diverted to the city’s other main airport, Al Maktoum International Airport, which is about 65 kilometers away.
CNN has reached out to airport operator Dubai Airports.
Airstrikes rock Beirut as Israel announces ground operations in southern Lebanon
Several airstrikes rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight according to the country’s state-run NNA news, as Israel announced “limited and targeted ground operations” against Hezbollah in the south of the country.
Footage from Reuters news agency showed a large plume of smoke billowing over Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold which has been bombarded by Israel airstrikes.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it conducted strikes “against numerous terrorist targets in order to mitigate threats in the operational environment” ahead of the entry of its ground troops.
Multiple attacks were reported across southern Lebanon, NNA reported.
Lebanon’s health ministry said 850 people have been killed and more than 2,100 wounded since the conflict began, as of late afternoon Sunday. CNN cannot independently verify these numbers.
UN peacekeepers said in a Sunday statement they were fired upon “likely by non-state armed groups” while conducting patrols at their bases. No one was hurt.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it had launched 5 attacks so far on Monday. On Sunday, it said it launched 25 attacks targeting sites in Israel, the Golan Heights, and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) positions in Lebanon.
This post has been updated with additional information.
These things might get more expensive due to the war
US gas prices reached an average of $3.70 a gallon yesterday, according to AAA, a 24% increase since the war in Iran began February 28. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright acknowledged the economic impacts of the conflict but said enduring the “short-term pain” is better than “to have a nuclear armed Iran.”
But even if the war ended today, it could take 1 to 3 months to get the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil travels, operational again, according to Homayoun Falakshahi, lead crude research analyst at Kpler. It will take time to clear the hundreds of ships waiting for safe passage and for major oil producers to fix damaged facilities, ramp up production and get oil moving. The duration of the war is what really matters, CNN’s David Goldman reported Friday: the longer the war, the higher the prices.
Other ways the war in Iran might hit consumer’s wallets:
Plane tickets: As oil prices soar, fuel costs for airlines will, too – which means customers might have to stomach higher ticket prices. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby suggested last week the impact of higher jet fuel costs on tickets would “probably start quick.” Travel experts told CNN Travel customers should book their trips whenever they can, and avoid basic economy in times of uncertainty as it has more restrictions on refunds and rebooking.
Groceries: Grocery stores – specifically the produce, meat and dairy aisles – are one of the first places consumers will see the effects of higher fuel prices, CNN reported last week. With oil prices rising, the cost to transport goods has increased and is poised to continue going up the longer the war continues. The less shelf stable an item is, the less companies can stockpile it – and the more vulnerable it is to price increases.
Housing: Mortgage rates had fallen steadily over the past nine months.
with a big assist from the Fed’s three interest rate cuts last year. But investors are now demanding higher Treasury yields over fears of economic damage from the war. Mortgage rates, closely tied to the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield, rose a couple weeks ago too, back over 6%.
CNN’s David Goldman, Auzinea Bacon, Aileen Graef, Alexandra Skores, Chris Isidore, Elisabeth Buchwald and Alicia Wallace contributed to this report.
The US has military allies in Asia. Getting them to commit warships to Hormuz won’t be easy
Trump has asked US allies and other countries send warships to help escort tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
Among those called out by the president were Japan and South Korea - two US defense allies which rely heavily on oil flowing through the besieged strait.
The ask will force both countries to balance their longstanding defense alliances with Washington, their reliance on Middle Eastern oil, and the risks of putting their own troops in harm’s way for a war with Iran that they did not begin.
Beyond the strategic challenges, both countries face legal, political and logistical hurdles.
Japan has a pacifist constitution which denounces war as a means to settle international disputes. While the country has a strong military focused on self defense it is legally restricted in what it can do.
Japan’s leader Sanae Takaichi, due to meet Trump at the White House later this week, told parliament Monday the country is not currently planning to dispatch warships to Hormuz.
South Korea said it is in close communication with the US and will “carefully review the matter and make our decision” in a Sunday statement from the presidential office.
While Japan and South Korea have vessels that could help with mine countermeasures in the Persian Gulf, they are not as well armed as surface combatants like destroyers or frigates, said Collin Koh, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
Either country would likely need parliamentary approval to deploy ships, which would take about 3-4 weeks to reach Hormuz.
While Trump’s post did not mention Australia, another US defense ally, the country’s transport minister said it will not be sending ships to the strait.
CNN’s Yoonjung Seo, Yumi Asada, and Hilary Whiteman contributed reporting.
Trump administration orders restart of oil pipeline along California coast
President Donald Trump has invoked executive authority to restart a controversial oil pipeline off California’s coast, advancing his five-year plan to revive the state’s shuttered oil operations despite state opposition in a move critics say would do little to affect global prices.
Hours after Trump signed an order Friday invoking the Defense Production Act, Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed Texas-based oil and gas company Sable Offshore Corp. to restore the Santa Ynez Unit and its pipeline network along the Santa Barbara County coast.
The energy department said the order intends to “address supply disruption risks,” and reduce the US’s reliance on foreign oil, of which a significant share travels through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the start of the war with Iran.
California leaders have condemned the move with Gov. Gavin Newsom calling it “desperate, reckless, and illegal” and the state’s Attorney General Rob Banta referring to it on X as the “latest brazen abuse of power.”
“This is an attempt to illegally restart a pipeline whose operators are facing criminal charges and prohibited by multiple court orders from restarting,” Newsom said in a statement, vowing to fight against the latest measure.
In January, California sued the federal government for approving plans to restart oil pipelines run by the company along its coast, which had been shut since a disastrous 2015 oil spill.
The energy department said the facility can produce approximately 50,000 barrels of oil a day – compared to the US demand of some 20 million barrels of oil a day. Newsom referred to the pipeline’s oil as a “drop in the bucket,” citing Bloomberg, and said it “would have no impact on lowering global oil prices.”
The price of oil rose Sunday evening to its highest level since July 2022. Brent crude went up to about $106.12 a barrel while US oil rose to $101.53.
Read more on the Trump administration’s five-year offshore drilling plan.
Black pyres of smoke rise over Tehran as Israel targets infrastructure
Thick black plumes of smoke could be seen rising over Iran’s capital Tehran in the early hours of Monday morning, video shared online showed, as Iranian state media reported large booms in the capital.
One large pyre could be seen in central Tehran, with another coming from the west of the city.
The timing of the explosion corresponded to a statement from the Israeli military early Monday, which said it had begun a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure in Tehran.
Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard’s said Israeli fighter jets had targeted Mehrabad Airport, the country’s busiest air transport hub.
Thai cargo ship crew arrive in Bangkok after attack in Strait of Hormuz
Twenty crew members rescued from a Thai cargo ship that was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz last week have arrived safely in Bangkok.
They landed in Bangkok’s main airport around 8 a.m. local time Monday and were immediately escorted away by officials, according to a CNN reporter at the scene.
All returning crew are in good health and “ready to return to their duties again,” an official from Thailand’s department of consular affairs told Reuters.
The “Mayuree Naree” ship was fired upon last Wednesday after “disregarding warnings and insistently attempting to illegally pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement at the time, according to the nation’s semi-official Fars News Agency.
At least three crew members remain missing.
A Liberian-flagged vessel “Express Rome” was also “struck by Iranian projectiles that same morning after ignoring warnings from the IRGC Navy,” the armed forces said, Fars reported.
What tensions over the Strait of Hormuz could mean for the petrodollar
A senior Iranian official told CNN that Tehran is weighing whether to allow some vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz — with one stipulation: that transactions for cargo, including oil, be settled in Chinese yuan rather than US dollars.
CNN’s Eleni Giokos explains what impact that could have on the petrodollar.
If Iran pushes oil transporters to move to trade in yuan, what would it mean for the petrodollar, the system that keeps the US dollar the world’s dominant reserve currency? CNN’s Eleni Giokos explains the history of the petrodollar.
2 Iranian soccer players left in Australia after another squad member withdraws asylum bid
A fifth member of Iran’s women’s national football team has withdrawn her asylum claim and left Australia for Iran, the latest in a series of reversals involving players who had initially sought refuge during the Women’s Asian Cup tournament.
That leaves just two Iranian women still in Australia on humanitarian visas following a flurry of activity by immigration officials after the team’s exit from the tournament.
The women were granted asylum after claiming a fear of persecution if they returned to their war-stricken homeland following the players’ refusal to sing Iran’s national anthem during the opening match against South Korea. The action sparked backlash from hardliners back home, including one state media presenter who called them “wartime traitors.”
Two players – Mona Hamoudi and Zahra Sarbali, as well as a staffer, Zahra Meshkekar – arrived in Malaysia Saturday and will head on to Tehran, Iranian state media reported, carrying a picture of the three together.
Another woman later withdrew her request. She was named by Iranian state media as team captain Zahra Ghanbari.
Speaking to CNN affiliate Sky News on Monday, Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said the women had been in contact with family and Iranian officials.
“I understand some of them did make contact with the Iranian embassy here in Australia, we can’t cut off communication obviously,” he said.
Previously, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the women were given “repeated chances to talk about their options.”
“While the Australian Government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions,” he added.
Last week, forward Mohadeseh Zolfi became the first to hand back her humanitarian visa, leaving Australia on Wednesday to join the departing squad in Malaysia.
Seven members of the Iranian women’s national football team – six players and a member of the squad’s support team – had been granted refugee visas to stay in Australia after the Asian Cup for fear of persecution at home.
The team arrived in Australia before the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump is seeking help from other countries to secure the Hormuz strait. How some countries have reacted
President Donald Trump said the US has had “some positive response” after reaching out to countries to to seek assistance to secure the vital Strait of Hormuz.
“They were contacted today and last night, but we’ve had some positive response. We had a few that would rather not get involved,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. He did not name the countries his administration contacted.
Several countries have reacted to Trump’s call, but did not commit to sending ships to the strait, which has been effectively closed since the war began.
Japan is currently not planning to send ships to the strait, said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. “We have not yet made any decisions regarding the dispatch of naval vessels. We are currently examining what Japan can do independently within our legal framework,” she told parliament on Monday.
Australia will not be sending ships. “We know how incredibly important that is, but that’s not something that we’ve been asked or that we’re contributing to,” said Transport Minister Catherine King on Monday.
South Korea will carefully review Trump’s request, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing a statement from its presidential office. “We will communicate closely with the US regarding this matter and make a decision after careful review.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said on Sunday the United Kingdom is exploring “any options” to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. He did not offer details but said “there are different ways that we could contribute” and that those options were being looked at with allies.
A spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington would not say whether the country is planning to deploy naval assets to the region, telling CNN on Saturday that the country calls for an immediate stop to hostilities, and that “all parties have the responsibility to ensure stable and unimpeded energy supply.”
What Trump said about getting other countries to help secure Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump is seeking to shore up support from other countries to resolve the Strait of Hormuz crisis. This is what he said:
Asking China for help: Trump urged Beijing to help address disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and that he could postpone a planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He said he would prefer to know Beijing’s position before meeting Xi later this month.
“Some positive response”: Trump said the US received ”some positive response” after reaching out to countries for assistance in securing the vital Strait of Hormuz, but added a few “would rather not get involved.” He declined to name the countries his administration reached out to.
“Very bad future” for NATO: Trump warned NATO faces a “very bad” future if US allies fail to assist with the Strait of Hormuz crisis. “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” he said, adding that “if there’s no response or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.”
War objectives: The US and Israel are largely aligned in their military goals in the war with Iran, though Trump acknowledged their objectives may not be identical. “I think we have similar objectives, really, but could be a little bit different,” Trump said when asked whether Israel’s strategy differs from that of the US. He also emphasized the close coordination between the two countries’ militaries.
Catch up on the latest on the 17th day of the conflict here.
