Here's the latest
• Strikes on oil hubs: Smoke was seen rising from a key port in the United Arab Emirates today as Iran’s military warns it will retaliate for US strikes on its own crucial oil export hub, Kharg Island. The US military said the attack destroyed mine and missile storage facilities while “preserving” the island’s energy infrastructure.
• Regional attacks: The US Embassy in Baghdad was hit by two drones today, a security official told CNN, though the extent of damage or any injuries was not immediately clear. Elsewhere, Lebanon said medical workers were killed when an Israeli strike hit a health care center, and several Persian Gulf nations said they intercepted Iranian strikes.
• Economic impacts: US gas prices have climbed to an average of $3.68 a gallon, according to AAA — a 23% increase since the war began. Iran’s move to block traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has sent ripple effects through the global economy.
What to know about the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway Iran is blocking
We’ve just brought you reporting on US President Donald Trump’s renewed calls for other countries to send warships to help the US reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has repeatedly warned that vessels passing through the strait would be targeted amid the ongoing war in the region.
At least 16 vessels have been attacked in and around the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman since the conflict began February 28, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
A narrow waterway that bypasses Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz is the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
Iran controls the strait’s northern side. About 20 million barrels of oil, or about one-fifth of daily global production, flow through the strait every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which calls the channel a “critical oil chokepoint.” According to the EIA, “very few alternative options exist to move oil out of the strait if it is closed.”
The strait also carries about one-fifth of global trade in liquefied natural gas.
Energy analysts have warned that oil and natural gas prices are likely to remain elevated until the strait is passable.
Major container shipping companies, including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC and CMA CGM, are also diverting vessels away from the waterway and the region, according to logistics firm Freightos.
CNN’s Catherine Nicholls contributed to this report.
Trump claims countries will send warships to reopen Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump claimed Saturday that “other countries” will be sending warships “in conjunction” with the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
It is unclear which countries the president is talking about and whether any countries have agreed to send ships. Trump wrote later in the lengthy post on Truth Social, “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others” will send ships to the region.
CNN has reached out to the White House for clarity on Trump’s post.
“Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” the president’s post reads.
Iran has effectively halted the passage of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a global energy crisis that the administration is now struggling to contain amid economic fallout.
Some background: Following a G7 meeting last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said France supports a coalition of naval ships to ensure free passage through the critical energy chokepoint, but urged a need for organization, which may take several weeks.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey echoed the sentiment on Thursday, noting that conversations about the Strait were in preliminary stages while underscoring the need to deescalate beforehand.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting.
UN Chief calls on Israel and Hezbollah to "stop the fighting"
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah to “stop the fighting” as the conflict between the two parties escalates.
During a visit to the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Guterres issued a plea to both sides: “Stop the fighting. Stop the bombing. There is no military solution.”
Israel has raised the prospect of a major ground operation into Lebanon, amid the mass displacement of Lebanese citizens. Guterres said the Lebanese people “did not choose this war,” but were “dragged into it.”
The UN chief joins other world leaders advocating for peace, including French President Emmanuel Macron who earlier today urged Israel to hold direct talks with Lebanon while calling on the Israeli military to “abandon any large-scale offensive and stop its massive strikes.”
Macron also called on Hezbollah to “immediately halt its reckless escalation.”
Iran issues fresh warning to UAE residents
Iran issued another warning to civilians in the United Arab Emirates, urging them to stay away from the country’s main ports — locations that have already been targeted in Tehran’s retaliatory strikes over the past two weeks.
A circular published by Iranian media outlets affiliated with the country’s security apparatus instructed residents of the UAE to evacuate areas around the ports of Jebel Ali in Dubai, Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, and Mina Al-Fujairah.
But it is possible Iran is attempting to sow panic among residents after having vowed revenge for US strikes on Kharg Island, a key oil hub.
Iranian missiles and drones have resulted in the deaths of six people and injuries to 141 others in the UAE, the majority of them civilians.
In addition to the ports, Iran has also targeted airports, hotels, high-rises, economic centers and oil facilities.
Key UAE oil hub disrupted as US Embassy in Baghdad hit by drones. What we know so far
Fire broke out at a key UAE oil hub at the port of Fujairah earlier today when debris from an intercepted drone fell, according to the Fujairah Media Office.
The incident came as Iran’s military warned it could target UAE ports and docks in retaliation for a US strike on the critical Iranian oil export hub of Kharg Island.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy was hit by two drones earlier today, a security official told CNN. If you’re just joining us, here’s the very latest:
- Oil facilities targeted: Earlier today, plumes of smoke rose from the port of Fujairah, which carries hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil every day, after a drone attack. Some oil-loading operations there were subsequently suspended, according to Bloomberg and Reuters.
- US Embassy struck: Two drones hit the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq earlier today, a security official told CNN. The extent of the damage isn’t yet known. Footage showed smoke and flames rising from a building within the vicinity of the embassy compound.
- Rising fuel prices: US gas prices climbed today to an average of $3.68 a gallon, a 23% increase since the war in Iran began and a reflection of soaring oil prices. Diesel prices averaged $4.85 a gallon this week, a dollar more expensive than they were before the war.
- Ramadan in Lebanon: Israeli strikes and mass evacuation orders have disrupted Muslim families observing the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, an aid worker said. “We are fasting during Ramadan while struggling to meet our basic needs,” a Palestinian mother added in testimony shared with CNN by an aid organization.
- Strikes in Israel: Two people, including a 12-year-old boy, were injured in Eliat, in southern Israel, after a series of Iranian missile launches.
- US tanker planes hit: President Donald Trump said five US tanker planes were hit at an airport in Saudi Arabia “a few days ago” but sustained minimal damage. Four are already back in service and the fifth will return to operation soon, Trump claimed.
CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Auzeina Bacon, Eugenia Yosef, Andrew Carey, Riane Lumer and Sana Noor Haq contributed reporting.
US Embassy in Baghdad struck by 2 drones, source says
The US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, was hit by two drones today, a security official told CNN, though the extent of damage or any injuries is still unknown.
Video geolocated by CNN showed smoke and small flames rising from a building in the vicinity of the embassy compound.
CNN has reached out to the embassy, State Department, White House and US Central Command for more information.
Reported deaths in Middle East climb to more than 3,000 in two weeks
More than 3,000 people — including civilians and military personnel — have been killed in the Middle East since the war with Iran began two weeks ago, CNN estimates have found.
Most recently, at least 12 medical staff were killed after an Israeli strike hit a health care center in the southern Lebanese town of Bourj Qalaouiyeh, the country’s public health ministry said.
Here’s what we know about the deaths so far:
- Iran: More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the conflict, Iran’s ambassador to the UN said Tuesday. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported yesterday that 1,298 civilians — including 205 children — and 1,122 military personnel have been killed since the war began, a jump of nearly 1,000 military deaths since its report on Thursday. HRANA told CNN that this increase is due to the inclusion of deaths which are under review, as well as the incorporation of delayed fatality reports. The Iranian authorities have not updated their official tally in over a week.
- Lebanon: At least 826 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel began strikes on the country, its ministry of public health said in an update today. Among the dead are 106 children.
- Israel: At least 15 Israelis have been killed since the conflict began. This includes nine who were killed in a direct missile hit on a residential building on the city of Beit Shemesh, and two Israeli soldiers who were killed in southern Lebanon on Sunday morning.
- US: A total of 13 US service members have been killed since the start of the conflict, including six who lost their lives when their refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq on Thursday. A further six US service members were killed in an Iranian strike that hit a makeshift operations center in Kuwait on Sunday.
- Iraq: At least 32 people have been killed in Iraq, the majority of them soldiers from the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF). The PMF said in a statement that at least 27 of their members had been killed as of Thursday. A French soldier was also killed in an attack on a military base in Iraqi Kurdistan on Thursday.
- Kuwait: At least six people have died in Kuwait. This includes an 11-year-old girl who died from injuries sustained when shrapnel fell on a residential area on March 4.
- UAE: The United Arab Emirates’ defense ministry said on Tuesday that a total of six people of Emirati, Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi nationalities have been killed as a result of “attacks.”
- Bahrain: One person was killed after debris from an intercepted missile sparked a fire on a “foreign vessel” in Bahrain’s Salman Industrial City, Bahraini state media said last week. Separately, a 29-year-old Bahraini woman died after an Iranian strike on the capital Manama, according to Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior.
- Oman: An Indian national died after an unmanned boat attacked the oil tanker he was working on 52 nautical miles off the Omani coast, the Oman News Agency reported. Additionally, two foreign nationals were killed in a drone “crash” in Oman’s Sohar district, the country’s defense ministry said Friday.
- Saudi Arabia: Two people were killed after a military projectile struck a residential facility in the city of Al-Kharj on March 8, the Saudi Civil Defense said.
CNN’s Charbel Mallo, Helen Regan, Tal Shalev, Tamar Michaelis, Kaanita Iyer, Haley Britzky, Nechirvan Mando, Aqeel Najim, Lex Harvey, Jessie Yeung, Laura Sharman, Ibrahim Dahman and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this reporting.
This post has been updated with additional reporting.
Hamas calls on key ally Iran to avoid targeting gulf nations in rare plea
The Palestinian militant group Hamas has called on Iran to “avoid targeting neighboring countries” in response to recent US-Israeli strikes, in a rare public sign of disagreement with its main backer and ally.
In a statement issued today, Hamas said it was following the US-Israeli war with Iran with “deep concern,” while reiterating its “strong condemnation of the American-Zionist aggression,” which it said threatened “peace and security in the region and the world.”
While reaffirming Iran’s right to respond to that aggression, Hamas said Iran should desist from strikes on its neighbors. And called on “all states of the region to cooperate in stopping this aggression and to preserve the bonds of brotherhood.”
Tehran has continued to strike targets in gulf countries in recent days, with UAE and Saudi Arabia both reporting interceptions over their territories earlier today, while Bahrain also urged residents to take shelter in the face of fresh Iranian launches.
Iran has been a key supporter of Hamas for decades, providing it with significant financial and technological assistance, seeing the Gaza-based group as an important part of its region-wide conflict with Israel.
Trump says US tanker planes hit in Saudi Arabia but took minimal damage
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that five US tanker planes were hit at an airport in Saudi Arabia, but sustained minimal or “virtually no” damage.
Four of the five tankers are back in service while a fifth suffered more damage but will also return to operating shortly, Trump claimed.
“The Base was hit a few days ago, but the planes were not “struck” or “destroyed.” Four of the five had virtually no damage, and are already back in service. One had slightly more damage, but will be in the air shortly. None were destroyed, or close to that,” the president posted to Truth Social.
CNN has reached out to CENTCOM for comment.
Two injured after Iranian strike in southern Israel
Two people were injured in Eilat, in the far south of Israel, after a series of Iranian missile launches on Saturday afternoon.
Among the wounded was a 12-year-old boy, who was being treated for shrapnel injuries, according to emergency responders from the country’s emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA). His condition was described as “moderate to severe, but stable.”
Video released by MDA showed an impact crater, about two meters in diameter, in the middle of a street in the city.
Elsewhere, people in Tel Aviv heard two large explosions after sirens sounded in the city for the first time in more than 12 hours. There were no immediate reports of impacts or injuries.
Sirens were also heard in Jerusalem and in the north of Israel.
Smoke seen at major UAE port as US targets critical Iranian oil export hub
Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the United Arab Emirates’ port of Fujairah earlier today, after debris from an intercepted drone fell on the major oil hub, according to the Fujairah Media Office.
Strikes have continued across the region so far this weekend. Here’s what we’ve been reporting on:
- Iran: US President Donald Trump said yesterday that his country “totally obliterated every military target” on Iran’s Kharg Island, a critical crude export hub.
- UAE: Iran had warned that it could target ports and docks in the UAE after the US’ strikes. Authorities in Dubai said debris from a “successful interception” struck a building in the city centre.
- Lebanon: In a statement in the early hours of this morning, Lebanon’s public health ministry said that at least 12 medical staff were killed after an Israeli strike hit a healthcare center in a southern Lebanese town.
- Iraq: Video geolocated by CNN today shows smoke and flames rising from a building in the vicinity of the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq.
- Saudi Arabia: The country’s defense ministry reported a wave of attempted aerial attacks since midnight. It intercepted 19 drones — including 16 in the eastern region — and one ballistic missile launched toward the central Al-Kharj area.
- Qatar: Armed forces intercepted a “missile attack” targeting the country, its ministry of defense said. A CNN team on the ground said they heard loud sounds from an interception operation. Qatar’s interior ministry said it was “evacuating a number of specified areas” as a precautionary measure “in the interest of public safety.”
CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Xiaoqian Lin, Laura Sharman, Charbel Mallo, Helen Regan and Isaac Yee contributed to this reporting.
A look at how oil prices have been impacted in the last two weeks
As we’ve just reported, US gas prices climbed to an average of $3.68 a gallon today, according to AAA.
Oil prices increased and have remained high since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran two weeks ago, with the cost of a barrel of Brent crude oil rising from $73.21 the day before the attacks to $101.18 as of market close yesterday evening.
President Donald Trump said yesterday that the US had “totally obliterated every military target” on Iran’s Kharg Island, a critical crude export hub. He also threatened to attack the island’s oil infrastructure if Iran continues blocking ships from traversing the Strait of Hormuz.
Take a look below at how oil prices have bounced around over the last two weeks:
Average US gas prices climb 23% since start of war in Iran
US gas prices climbed to an average of $3.68 a gallon on Saturday, according to AAA, a 23% increase since the war in Iran began on February 28.
On Friday, Brent futures jumped 2.67%, closing at $103.14 per barrel, while US crude oil gained 3.11% to close at $98.71 per barrel. Oil prices historically move a few days ahead of gas prices, meaning gas prices are expected to increase.
The rise in fuel prices has been triggered by Iran effectively cutting off oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway which 20% of the world’s crude oil passes through.
Diesel prices averaged $4.85 per gallon this week, up from $3.71 during the week leading up to the initial strikes on Iran, according to the Energy Information Administration. That jump in diesel prices could trigger higher shipping costs for companies like FedEx, which imposes a surcharge when diesel hits at least $3.55 a gallon.
Some context: The war in Iran can have a big impact on the US economy. US food prices can increase due to higher shipping costs and with essential fertilizer ingredients being impacted by transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Airfare prices have surged due to the increased price of jet fuel.
Key UAE oil hub disrupted after drone interception, reports say
Plumes of smoke were seen rising from a major oil hub in the United Arab Emirates after a drone attack and fire.
The port of Fujairah, near the vital Strait of Hormuz, carries hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil each day.
The Fujairah Media Office stated that the blaze broke out when debris from an intercepted drone fell, though no injuries were reported.
Citing sources, Reuters and Bloomberg reported that some oil-loading operations in the emirate had been suspended after the drone incident and resulting fire. The Fujairah Media Office’s statement made no mention of any disruption to oil-loading activities.
The incident came one day after the United States struck Iran’s Kharg Island - a key facility for Iranian crude oil exports. Iranian officials then warned they could target ports and docks in the UAE in retaliation.
Iran warns it could target UAE ports as CNN hears from people in Tehran. Here's the latest
Iran’s military has warned it could target ports and docks in the UAE after the US struck Kharg Island, the critical site which handles roughly 90% of Iran’s oil exports.
Catch up on the very latest:
- Kharg Island: The US military said it hit more than 90 military targets on Iran’s critical oil export hub last night but “preserved” the island’s oil infrastructure. Oil operations there are still “proceeding normally,” an Iranian official said.
- Iran’s warning: Iran’s military warned it could target ports and docks in the UAE after those US strikes on Kharg Island.
- Civilian toll: At least 42,914 civilian units, including 120 schools, have been damaged by US-Israeli strikes in Iran, a Iranian government spokesperson said. More than 2,000 people, including civilians and military personnel, have been killed in the Middle East since the war began, according to CNN estimates.
- Macron’s diplomacy plea: French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to hold direct talks with Lebanon, “abandon any large-scale offensive and stop its massive strikes.” Macron offered to host talks in Paris.
- Life in Tehran: Israeli strikes are increasingly targeting police stations, residents in Tehran told CNN. “They hit these Basij stations and police stations but sometimes they’re near a hospital or homes,” one woman said.
Families observe Ramadan under Israeli bombings and sirens in Lebanon, relief worker says
Israeli strikes and mass evacuation have disrupted peaceful forms of worship for Muslim families in Lebanon, according to an aid worker, as many try to observe the Islamic holy month of Ramadan – when people abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset.
Palestinian refugees staying at a makeshift shelter in the town of Sebline, in southern Lebanon, including pregnant women and new mothers, spoke of “fear,” “confusion” and “panic,” a midwife working there with the UK-based NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) said.
“Some women told us they were preparing for suhoor (the meal eaten before dawn and the start of the fast) when warning sirens sounded, forcing them to leave immediately,” Ola, the midwife, said in testimony shared with CNN by MAP.
“They had no time to take anything with them,” she added. “Others said they had been preparing iftar (the breaking of the fast at sunset) when a strike took place nearby.”
The Israeli military campaign in Lebanon has killed hundreds of people, triggered mass displacement, depleted the healthcare system and exacerbated the country’s economic crisis.
Many people have tried to seek safety in improvised shelters, mosques, community halls and unfinished buildings, according to the UN. At least 773 people have been killed since March 2, including 103 children, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Further south, in Burj Shemali refugee camp, an unnamed Palestinian mother warned that “rising prices are making it increasingly difficult to afford food.” “We are fasting during Ramadan while struggling to meet our basic needs,” she said, in testimony shared with CNN by MAP.
Israel says it could strike ambulances in Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of using them for military purposes
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has warned it could start striking ambulances in Lebanon, as it accused the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah of using the emergency vehicles for military purposes.
“We emphasize that if this practice does not cease, Israel will be acting in line with international law against any and all militant activity carried out by terrorist group Hezbollah using such facilities and ambulances,” the IDF said.
Lebanon’s health ministry disputed Israel’s claims, describing them as “nothing more than a justification for the crimes it is committing against humanity.”
Instead, it accused Israel of consistently targeting ambulances while performing rescue duties on the front lines.
The IDF also claimed that Hezbollah is using civilian trucks as a cover to transport weapons, in a move it said was “endangering residents of Lebanon in the cities and villages across the Lebanese coast.”
Israel has unleashed successive waves of strikes across Lebanon, saying it is targeting senior Hezbollah operatives, command infrastructure, weapons depots, missile launchers and military training facilities.
The country’s death toll has climbed to 773 while over 800,000 people have been internally displaced, according to Lebanese officials.
This post has been updated.
3 of 6 service members killed in refueling aircraft crash were from Ohio, Vance says
Three of the six crew members killed in a refueling aircraft crash were from Ohio, Vice President JD Vance shared last night.
On Thursday, US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker, a refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. The US military has said the incident was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
The Islamic Resistance of Iraq, an umbrella group of factions loyal to Iran, has claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft. The group did not provide evidence for its claims.
Another aircraft was also involved in the incident but it landed safely in Israel, the country’s ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said in a post on X.
The six crew members’ deaths bring the number of US troops killed in connection to the war with Iran to 13.
CNN’s Haley Britzky and Brad Lendon contributed to this post.
Israel spotlights "epidemic" of antisemitism in the Netherlands after Amsterdam blast
Israel’s foreign ministry said today an “antisemitism epidemic is raging” in the Netherlands after an explosion struck at a Jewish school in Amsterdam overnight amid the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran.
The blast hit the outer wall of the school, located in Buitenveldert, considered the city’s modern Jewish quarter and home to synagogues, religious schools and Jewish restaurants.
Security in Amsterdam had been heightened following similar incidents in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, and Liège in neighboring Belgium earlier this week, according to the City of Amsterdam.
The Israeli ministry called on the Dutch government to “do much more to fight antisemitism.”
Meanwhile, in Michigan in the US, a synagogue was targeted in a car-ramming attack on Thursday, though the motive in that incident is unknown.
Iran allows two Indian tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz
Two tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) passed through the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday morning and are heading towards India, an Indian foreign ministry official told CNN.
That came shortly after Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, told India Today that Iran had allowed Indian vessels to travel through the waterway, though he would not confirm how many received clearance.
India is one of the world’s top importers of LPG, which residents use for everything from cooking to powering many vehicles. It imports roughly 85% of the fuel, as well as 50% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG), from the Middle East, according to analytics firm Kpler, so the supply disruption in the two weeks since the war in Iran began has already created acute shortages across the country.
When India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Wednesday, he said he reiterated that the “unhindered transit of goods and energy” remained one of India’s top priorities.
