Here's the latest
• US options: President Donald Trump on Thursday complained about congressional efforts aimed at limiting his war powers, the latest of which the Senate rejected this afternoon. The US leader was expected to hear about updated military options for Iran from Pentagon officials today.
• Strait of Hormuz: As the critical waterway remains effectively closed, the average price for a gallon of gas in the US hit $4.30, the biggest one-day jump in the last six weeks.
• Tehran defiant: Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei doubled down on his uncompromising vision for the region, declaring Iran’s newfound gains as irreversible facts, all delivered with taunting messaging to his neighbors.
• Lebanon clashes: Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said several soldiers were injured in Hezbollah attacks in southern Lebanon. The IDF did not give a location, but the Iranian-backed militants claimed they carried out drone strikes on soldiers in response to ceasefire violations.
“The trust in this White House is not the same,” German lawmaker says
Germans have lost trust in the US to help keep them safe, a German Member of the European Parliament told CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Thursday, when asked about US President Donald Trump’s comments about potentially reducing US troop levels in the country.
“I would say that (Trump) is angry about a lot of things,” Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said. “The problem is every morning we could read a new message … maybe tomorrow it’s a different message. So I think we really have to cool down.”
She stressed that the presence of US troops in Germany remains mutually beneficial. “US troops are important for us, but also important for the United States … as a hub … especially in Germany.”
Strack-Zimmermann acknowledged that Germany had not done enough on defense in past decades, but said that was now changing, with Europe working to take on greater responsibility and become “more independent.”
But when asked directly whether Germans still trust the US to help keep them safe, her answer was blunt: “The trust in this White House is not the same like under Biden, under Obama … under Clinton.”
US Embassy in Beirut urges direct Lebanon-Israel talks, says Trump could facilitate them
The US Embassy in Beirut said Lebanon faces a “historic opportunity to reclaim” its sovereignty and called for direct engagement between Lebanon and Israel, arguing it could mark the start of a national revival.
In a statement posted on X today, the embassy said an “extended Cessation of Hostilities” between the two countries — described as achieved at the personal request of US President Donald Trump — “has given Lebanon the space and the opportunity to put all of its legitimate demands on the table with the full attention of the United States government.”
The embassy said a direct meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facilitated by Trump, could help Lebanon obtain US-guaranteed assurances on sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, as well as the restoration of Lebanese state authority “over every inch” of its territory.
“This is Lebanon’s moment to decide its own destiny,” the embassy said, adding that Washington is ready to support Lebanon and that “the time for hesitation is over.”
IDF says several soldiers injured in Hezbollah attacks in south Lebanon
Several Israeli soldiers were injured in Hezbollah attacks in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN on Thursday.
The IDF did not say where the attacks occurred or provide further details.
Hezbollah said in earlier statements that it carried out drone strikes on gatherings of Israeli soldiers in the towns of Taybeh and Qantara, claiming the attacks were in response to Israeli ceasefire violations and strikes on villages in southern Lebanon that it said caused civilian casualties.
In a statement, the militant group said the operation in Taybeh took place at 4:30 p.m. local time. The strike achieved a “confirmed hit,” it said.
In a second statement, Hezbollah said it struck an Israeli troop gathering in Qantara with drones. Hezbollah claimed this operation also resulted in a “confirmed hit.”
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said earlier today that Israeli strikes in multiple towns in southern Lebanon killed at least 14 people.
This report has been updated with comments from the IDF.
Trump criticizes congressional war powers push
President Donald Trump on Thursday complained about congressional efforts aimed at limiting his war powers — the latest of which the Senate rejected this afternoon.
“They go again and again on the war power,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I’m negotiating a deal with Iran,” he added. “And every week, every three days, they put in a thing that the war should stop.”
A post-Vietnam War law puts a 60-day clock on the use of military force without congressional authorization. The Iran war would hit that 60-day mark on May 1, according to the text of the law, the War Powers Resolution, but there’s some confusion in Congress over the exact date of the deadline.
Some lawmakers say the 60-day clock started from the date hostilities began, which would make the deadline April 29, while others cite the text of the law to argue it’s 60 calendar days from the date the White House officially notified Congress, which would put the deadline at May 1. Other Republicans argue that ceasefire days don’t count towards the 60-day total, or say that the president can unilaterally extend the deadline to 90-days.
Murkowski issues stark warning to Trump on Iran war without promise of authorization vote
GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced Thursday she plans to introduce a measure on whether to formally authorize President Donald Trump’s war with Iran if she does not see a “credible plan” from the White House in the next week.
“I do not accept that we should engage in open-ended military action without clear direction or accountability. Congress has a role. Congress has to step up and fulfill that role, that obligation that the Constitution assigns to us,” Murkowski said in a somber address from the Senate floor as the Pentagon hits the 60-day mark of the war.
The Alaska Republican said she will introduce her measure — what’s known as an authorization for use of military force, or AUMF — when the Senate returns from recess the week of May 11 if the administration does not present that plan.
Murkowski, whose home state has a high concentration of military veterans, is issuing a stark warning to the White House as it struggles to navigate a complex ceasefire with Iran with a growing number of Republicans privately anxious about the future of the conflict.
Murkowski made clear that she sees the role of her AUMF legislation as different from the Democrats’ separate push to reject Trump’s war powers authorities. (Murkowski has repeatedly rejected those war powers votes, including minutes earlier on the floor.)
“We’re now in a position where Congress must step in. Not to abruptly end operations but to define them, and that’s the difference here. … An AUMF recognizes that the US military is already engaged and provides structure and clarity,” she said. “It requires reporting to Congress, and it brings transparency where little has existed over the last two months.”
Murkowski added that she stands “firmly behind our troops.” But she stressed that Congress needs to fulfill its constitutional role of declaring war and providing oversight under the Constitution.
UAE issues travel bans for Iran, Lebanon and Iraq
The United Arab Emirates announced travel bans for Iran, Lebanon and Iraq on Thursday.
“In light of the current developments taking place in the region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces a travel ban for citizens of the United Arab Emirates to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lebanese Republic and the Republic of Iraq,” the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X.
The ministry urged citizens “currently present in these countries” to leave immediately and return to the UAE “at the earliest opportunity,” citing the government’s commitment “to monitoring the well-being of its citizens abroad and ensuring their safety.”
Tehran defiant as Pentagon expected to brief Trump on updated military options for Iran
President Donald Trump is expected to hear about updated military options for Iran from Pentagon officials today as he pressures Tehran to agree to a deal, a source said.
Separately, while taking questions in the Oval Office, Trump said that no one knows the status of talks with Iran aside from himself and a handful of others, suggesting the negotiations are advancing despite the public appearance of a standstill.
Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in the latest statement issued in his name, doubled down on his uncompromising vision for the region.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what else we’re learning about the conflict in the Middle East:
- The Trump administration is pressing foreign governments to join a new coalition to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as the Iran war continues to snarl the vital waterway.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, saying it amounts to continued military action against Iran.
- An Israeli soldier was killed in a Hezbollah drone strike in southern Lebanon today, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
- Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli strikes across several towns located in the Nabatieh district in southern Lebanon killed at least 14 people.
- Communities in Lebanon are gripped by “deep fear and uncertainty,” one relief worker in the country told CNN, as the Israeli military launched another wave of lethal strikes on the south.
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Trump administration doesn’t need war powers approval from Congress because a potential legal deadline of 60 days stops due to the current ceasefire.
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reaffirmed that Iran will compete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and play soccer matches in the US, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions that have cast doubt over the team’s participation.
CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq, Kevin Liptak, Sana Noor Haq, Mostafa Salem, Jennifer Hansler, Dana Karni, Sean Lyngaas, Adam Pourahmadi and Alessandra Freitas contributed this report.
Trump says he may reduce US troop levels in Spain and Italy
President Donald Trump said today that he is considering reducing US troop levels in Spain and Italy, as the US broadly re-evaluates its military footprint in Europe amid disagreements with allies over the Iran war.
“I mean, they haven’t been exactly on board,” Trump answered, when asked about the possibility of cuts to troop levels in Italy and Spain. Last night, Trump had similarly said he was examining a possible reduction of troops in Germany.
“Yeah, probably will,” Trump added, “Why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help. Spain has been horrible. Absolutely.”
Trump has had significant friction with European allies leaders over their not helping in the Iran war. And in the Oval Office today, he renewed his criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in particular.
“And you would have thought they would have said, ‘we would love to help you,’” Trump said.
“I mean, he’s doing a terrible job,” he added of Merz.
Merz said earlier this week that the United States is “being humiliated” by Iran, though he also said his relationship with Trump remains “good.”
Iran's Ghalibaf mocks blockade idea, cites Iran’s long borders
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf ridiculed the notion of blockading Iran, pointing to the country’s extensive land and maritime borders in a post on his X account today.
“If you build two walls, one from NYC to the West Coast and another from LA to the East Coast, the total length will be 7,755 km, which is still about 1,000 km short of Iran’s total borders,” Ghalibaf wrote.
“Good luck blockading a country with those borders,” he added.
In a postscript directed at US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Ghalibaf wrote “P.S. For Pete Hegseth: 1 km = 0.62 mi.”
Trump hails Iraq’s new prime minister after warning against former leader’s return
US President Donald Trump congratulated Ali al-Zaidi on his nomination to become Iraq’s next prime minister after rejecting former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki for the post.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said Thursday the United States looks forward to a “strong, vibrant, and highly productive” relationship with Iraq. He called cal-Zaidi’s nomination “the beginning of a tremendous new chapter” between the two countries and wished him success as he seeks to form a new government.
The message follows Trump’s earlier warnings to Iraq over reinstating former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. In January, Trump said Iraq had “descended into poverty and total chaos” under al-Maliki’s previous leadership and argued that his return “should not be allowed to happen again.”
Trump also warned that if al-Maliki were elected again, “the United States of America will no longer help Iraq.”
Al-Maliki, leader of the Iran-aligned Islamic Dawa Party, served as Iraq’s prime minister from 2006 to 2014. He stepped down in 2014 as the Islamic State seized large parts of the country. But he remained a prominent political figure and later aligned more closely with Iranian-backed factions in Iraq.
Trump says only he and a few others know true state of Iran talks
President Donald Trump said today that no one knows the status of talks with Iran aside from himself and a handful of others, suggesting the negotiations are advancing despite the public appearance of a standstill.
“Nobody knows what the talks are, except myself and a couple of other people,” Trump said in the Oval Office, even as he acknowledged the uncertainty over Iran’s leadership.
“We have a problem because nobody knows for sure who the leaders are. It’s a little bit of a problem,” he said.
Insisting Tehran wanted to make a deal “badly,” Trump said his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was working as planned.
“Their economy is crashing. The blockade is incredible. The power of the blockade is incredible,” he said.
Trump appeared to discount the possibility he would end the ceasefire currently in place and resume bombing Iran.
“I don’t know that we need it. We might need it,” he said.
Iran will play in US at 2026 World Cup, FIFA chief says
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reaffirmed that Iran will compete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and play soccer matches in the United States, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions that have cast doubt over the team’s participation.
Speaking at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Thursday, Infantino addressed uncertainty that emerged after US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran began in late February.
“Let me start at the outset by confirming straight away … that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino said, drawing applause from delegates. “And of course, Iran will play in the United States of America … because we have to unite. We have to bring people together.”
Iran was the only one of FIFA’s 211 member associations not represented at the event, after its delegates chose not to attend following reports that one member of their group was denied entry into Canada.
US President Donald Trump spoke out shortly after the remarks. “If FIFA’s Infantino said it, I’m okay with it,” he said. “I think let them play.”
Trump had previously suggested it would be “inappropriate” for the Iranians to compete “for their own life and safety.”
Iran is scheduled to play two group-stage matches in Inglewood, California, and one in Seattle, with its opener against New Zealand set for June 15 in Los Angeles. Although Iran is not in the same group as the US team, the two teams could face each other in the knockout stage of the competition if they both finish second in their respective groups. The earliest possible matchup would be Friday, July 3, a day before the American Independence Day holiday, in Arlington, Texas.
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon towns kill at least 14, Lebanese Health Ministry says
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli strikes in multiple towns located in the Nabatieh district in southern Lebanon killed at least 14 people.
A strike on the town of Jibchit killed four people and wounded nine others, the ministry said.
In a statement, the ministry said the dead included two children and a woman. The injured included three children and four women, it said.
In another strike, four people were killed in Toul, including three women, and 13 others were wounded, the ministry said.
The ministry said the injured included five children and four women.
An Israeli strike on the town of Zibdine killed six people, according to the ministry.
The strikes came after Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted an “urgent alert” on X for residents of several towns including Jibchit and Toul.
This post has been updated to include reports on an additional strike and an updated death toll.
US naval blockade “an extension of military" action, Iranian president says
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday denounced the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, saying it amounts to continued military action against Iran.
In an English-language post on X, Pezeshkian wrote: “What is being done under the guise of a naval blockade is an extension of military operations against a nation paying the price for its resistance and independence.”
“Continuation of this oppressive approach is intolerable,” he added.
Pezeshkian’s remarks came shortly after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued the Trump administration does not need congressional authorization to wage war on Iran, citing the ceasefire that took effect on April 8.
Hegseth says Trump admin doesn’t need war powers approval from Congress due to ceasefire
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that he believes the Trump administration does not need to seek congressional authorization for waging war against Iran, because a potential legal deadline “stops” due to the ongoing ceasefire.
Some background: Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a presidential administration has 60 days from initially notifying Congress of the use of military force to either cease a military campaign or permission to keep fighting. That 60 days for the Iran war would be coming up at the end of this week.
But Hegesth said, while testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, that the ceasefire between the US and Iran that took effect on April 8 means that the administration does not currently need approval despite an ongoing naval blockade.
“I do not believe the statute would support that,” Kaine replied. The expiration of the 60-day clock is “going to pose a really important legal question for the administration there,” he said.
Israeli soldier killed by Hezbollah drone strike in southern Lebanon
An Israeli soldier was killed in a Hezbollah drone strike in southern Lebanon today, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
The military identified the soldier as 19-year-old Sergeant Liem Ben Hamo, who was a combat soldier in the 13th Battalion, Golani Brigade. The fallen soldier’s family has been notified, it said.
“During the incident in which Sergeant Liem Ben Hamo fell, an additional IDF soldier was moderately injured,” the statement added.
The injured soldier “was evacuated to receive medical treatment at the hospital, and his family has been notified,” it said.
In a separate incident, a Hezbollah drone struck a military vehicle in northern Israel, injuring 12 soldiers, the Israeli military said earlier.
On Thursday, Israeli attacks killed at least nine people, including two children, in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.
US presses foreign governments to join new coalition on Strait of Hormuz
The Trump administration is pressing foreign governments to join a new coalition to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as the Iran war continues to snarl the vital waterway.
The coalition, dubbed the “Maritime Freedom Construct,” is aimed at coordinating diplomatic efforts, including aligning on sanctions and information sharing to help with safe transit through the waterway. The strait has become one of major hurdles in diplomatic negotiations between the US and Iran, with both countries maintaining their respective blockades.
President Donald Trump has both repeatedly asserted that the United States does not need the help of other countries on the strait and has also lambasted other countries, particularly those in Europe, for not doing enough. Meanwhile, fuel prices around the world are skyrocketing.
A US State Department cable sent this week to posts around the world called on diplomats to announce the formation of the new coalition and “ask for partner participation” by Friday.
The cable, seen by CNN, instructs diplomats not to discuss the matter with “US adversaries, including Russia, China, Belarus, and Cuba.” The Wall Street Journal first reported the cable.
According to the cable, the coalition will be led by the Departments of State and Defense, through US Central Command.
It noted that diplomats should pitch the participation in the coalition as a way to “strengthen our collective ability to restore freedom of navigation and protect the global economy.”
The cable acknowledges that “countries may contribute to the MFC in different ways based on their capabilities and interests.”
The United Kingdom and France have mounted a multilateral effort toward securing the strait that could eventually involve deploying military assets into the waterway if a peace deal is reached.
The coalition “is complementary to other maritime task forces, including the maritime planning effort the UK and France are leading,” a State Department official said.
Gillibrand confronts Hegseth over Iran war's unpopularity
Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand sharply criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Senate hearing today over his prosecution of the war against Iran and its growing unpopularity.
“Why do you continue to prosecute a war that the American people aren’t behind?” Gillibrand asked the defense secretary during a hearing held by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Hegseth responded that he believes “we do have the support of the American people.” He noted that the war started only two months ago.
Gillibrand added: “There’s no evidence that we are safer because of this war. We did not have any evidence that Iran intended to imminently attack this country in any way, shape or form.”
Polling has shown growing public pessimism over the war and whether the Trump administration’s stated objectives are being achieved.
A CBS News-YouGov poll earlier this month showed that only 36% of respondents said the military operations were successful. An Ipsos poll showed that 51% said the benefits of the war wouldn’t be worth the costs, compared to just 24% who said they would be.
The uneasiness over the war extends to Republicans. Polling has shown that one-quarter to a fifth of Republicans generally disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war, and that faith in the president himself is dropping.
CNN’s Aaron Blake contributed to this report.
How the Iran war is impacting conflicts beyond the Middle East
The United Nations’ top humanitarian official Tom Fletcher warned today that the ripple effects from the Iran war are driving up fuel and food prices in Somalia, worsening the crisis and forcing life-or-death choices on the ground.
Nuclear talks leave Iran's missiles and proxies off the table, expert says
Ongoing Iran-US peace talks are sidelining other threats from Tehran, including its ballistic missile program and support for proxies in the region that threaten the Persian Gulf, a Middle East Expert said.
“We’re not talking about putting a cap on ballistic missiles … (or) Iran scaling back its support, or ending its proxies in the region,” said Firas Maksad from the Eurasia Group, a political consultancy.
“Those issues are going to be left to the countries of the (gulf) region to deal with,” he told CNN’s Becky Anderson live on “Connect the World.”
His comments came after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest peace proposal on Wednesday over its position on uranium enrichment and nuclear capabilities.
Tehran is expected to submit a revised proposal in the coming days.
For context: Iran-backed Houthi rebels are one of several proxies present in the Middle East; they have previously targeted shipments transiting through the Red Sea and struck at Saudi Arabia and Israel.
