Here's the latest
• Strait of Hormuz: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says his country is working with allies on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. No countries have committed to sending warships after US President Donald Trump warned NATO faces a “very bad” future if they failed to assist. Iran says Hormuz is “not closed” but operating under “special conditions.”
• On the ground: “Hundreds of thousands” of people have been evacuated from southern Lebanon after Israel said it launched “limited” ground operations. 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 today to discuss how to curb rising energy costs. The price of oil yesterday rose to its highest level since July 2022. US gas prices are now at their highest since October 2023, with diesel just shy of $5 a gallon.
Emergency oil is on its way. So why are oil prices still high?
Last week, the member countries of the International Energy Agency, including the United States, agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves. But global oil prices have stayed high.
That’s because Tehran’s near-blockade of the Strait of Hormuz means that some 15 million barrels of crude oil and 5 million barrels of oil products are cut off from the global market every day. In other words, 400 million barrels of crude would be absorbed in just 26 days.
“The war in the Middle East is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market,” the International Energy Agency said in a statement Sunday.
“This emergency collective action, by far the largest ever, provides a significant and welcome buffer. But the most important factor in ensuring a return to stable flows is the resumption of regular transit of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” the agency added.
It noted that oil stocks from Asia and Oceania would be made available immediately, while those from the Americas and Europe wouldn’t be released until the end of March.
Oil inventories can be released to the market in a variety of ways, including through tenders, loan agreements or direct sales to refiners, according to the agency.
Bessent rejects idea that Trump-Xi summit would be delayed over Strait of Hormuz
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rejected the idea that President Donald Trump’s trip to China could be delayed due to disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz.
Bessent said it could instead be delayed over “logistics” as well as Trump’s willingness to travel outside the US during the Iran war.
“It would be a decision president made as commander in chief to stay in the White House, or to stay in the United States, while this war is being prosecuted,” Bessent said.
Bessent met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris over the weekend – calling the meetings “very good” – while Trump is expected to travel to China from March 31 to April 2.
For context: The possible summit delay comes as Trump has urged China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, telling the Financial Times in an interview on Sunday that the US would like to know China’s position on helping to reopen it before the summit.
But Bessent said markets should not react to a potential delay of the summit by assuming that indicates a conflict between the US and China over Iran.
“Absolutely not. Absolutely not. We had very good two days here. We’ll be issuing a statement in the next few days, and we’ll be reaffirming the stability in the relationship between the first and second largest economies in the world,” Bessent said.
As Trump calls for help in Strait of Hormuz, Germany responds: "It's not NATO’s war"
Berlin has responded to calls from US President Donald Trump to assist with keeping shipping lanes uninterrupted in the Strait of Hormuz, with a government spokesperson saying, “This war has nothing to do with NATO. It is not NATO’s war.”
The comment, made by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, came after Trump made a thinly veiled threat towards the NATO alliance, saying it could face a “very bad future.”
The German government also once again reiterated that it would not participate in any activity in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Participation has not been considered before this war and is not being considered now,” the government spokesperson added.
This morning, arriving in Brussels, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also told reporters that he does not see a role for NATO members in the Strait of Hormuz.
Merz has been hardening his position in recent days as the war with Iran continues to show no signs of ending. Last week he criticized the US for easing sanctions on Russia and has openly said he is not clear what the US plans to end the war are.
The spokesman told reporters that “before the war both the United States and Israel made it clear that European help was neither required nor desired.”
The German chancellor will be meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten in Berlin later today. Both leaders will likely field question on their responses to Trump and his demands.
"Suffocated and frustrated": Tehran residents describe life under bombardment
Iranians are feeling intense strain from the US and Israeli assault on their country, with some Tehran citizens telling CNN they are living in both fear and despair.
“These past few days have felt really hopeless. I feel like we are living in devastation and the future looks bleak,” a 32-year-old resident of Iran’s capital told CNN Monday. “I feel suffocated and frustrated at the same time.”
All those who spoke to CNN asked for their names not to be used due to security concerns, as the war enters its third week.
The resident said that every night, “they hit harder, and harder” leaving Iranians feeling increasingly isolated from the rest of the world.
Another male citizen, 44, said that while “people are dying,” some parts of life are resuming as normal. “You have to continue living your life, you know? We can’t just stay home worrying,” he added.
A 30-year-old woman in Tehran said the past few nights had been “terrifying.” “You can hear the sound of bombs from all over the city, no matter where you are,” she told CNN, adding that while some people welcome the conflict, particularly those in the diaspora, she does not.
Starmer says UK working with allies to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom is working with allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, without providing details, after US President Donald Trump demanded that other countries do more to end Iran’s effective blockade of the crucial shipping route.
Starmer said the “completely unprecedented” release of emergency oil stocks last week would not be sufficient to calm energy markets.
Starmer did not elaborate on potential plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil ordinarily flows. CNN has previously reported that Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait, complicating any future attempts to reopen it.
In his speech, Starmer did not directly mention Trump, who on Sunday warned that NATO faces a “very bad future” if US allies fail to assist in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively blockaded after it was attacked by the US and Israel.
Starmer also announced a £53 million ($70 million) package to help vulnerable households in the UK who rely on heating oil, the first major policy announcement responding to the economic shock of the widening war.
Israel launches new ground operation in southern Lebanon
As Israel launched a new ground operation in southern Lebanon, its Defense Minister Israel Katz said “hundreds of thousands” of residents of southern Lebanon who have been evacuated or are evacuating “will not return to areas south of the Litani (river) until the safety of residents (of northern Israel) is assured.”
Israel began striking southern Lebanon less than 48 hours after it and the US launched the attacks against Iran more than two weeks ago. At least 850 people, including 107 children, have been killed in Lebanon since then, the Lebanese health ministry said Sunday.
Katz said on Monday that the IDF has begun a ground maneuver in Lebanon to “remove threats” and protect the residents of northern Israel.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the IDF to destroy terrorist infrastructure in the border-adjacent contact villages in Lebanon,” he said, comparing the order to what he said Israel has done in Gaza when it destroyed infrastructure there.
Here's the latest on what Trump is saying about the war with Iran
US President Donald Trump spoke about the war with Iran several times yesterday, talking to reporters, posting to social media, and conducting interviews with the press.
We brought you updates on those comments as he said them. But if you’re just joining us, catch up on what he said below:
- Trump said the United States and Israel are largely aligned in their military goals in the war, though he also acknowledged their objectives may not be identical.
- The president warned that NATO faces a “very bad” future if US allies fail to assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz, the vital oil waterway currently blocked by Iran.
- The US has “had some positive response” after reaching out to countries to whether they would help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but a few “would rather not get involved,” Trump told reporters.
- Trump also said he could postpone a planned summit with his Chinese counterpart as he urges Beijing to help address disruptions in the strait.
- The US leader doubled down on his criticism of the media’s coverage of the Iran war while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
- Trump said he had not seen a fundraising email sent by his political action committee that used an image from a dignified transfer honoring fallen US service members.
CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this reporting.
US gas prices surge to $3.72, the highest since October 7, 2023
Gas prices in the United States have risen 2 cents to just under $3.72 a gallon on average, according to AAA. That’s the highest price for regular gas since October 7, 2023.
Since the start of the war with Iran, gas prices have surged 74 cents a gallon.
Diesel has gained even more, rising by $1.24 since the war began. It now averages $4.99 a gallon, coming close to hitting $5 for the first time since December 2022. Some trucking companies are already adding hefty fuel surcharges, and those costs could get passed onto consumers.
Prices of perishable foods, such as dairy, fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, are expected to rise soon as a result.
The price of gas has surged as the Trump administration continues to send mixed signals about the expected length of its war and its ability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has closed to virtually all oil tankers.
In recent days, President Donald Trump has asked the international community for help reopening the strait, a request that has so far been met with a tepid response.
Starmer defends decision not to join US-Israeli offensive against Iran
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended his decision not to join the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, saying he was not prepared to join a conflict “without a plan to get us out.”
Starmer declined to join the US-Israeli assault on February 28, but joined the defense against Iran’s retaliation when British military assets in the Middle East came under attack. US President Donald Trump and Starmer’s domestic opponents criticized what they cast as the prime minister’s timidity.
At a news conference in Downing Street on Monday, Starmer said he had “stood by my principles” and believed that “time will show that we have the right approach.”
Starmer was likely referring to Nigel Farage, the leader of the hard-right Reform UK party and an ally of Trump. At first, Farage said the UK’s “gloves needed to come off” when dealing with Iran. As the war in the Middle East escalated, Farage backtracked, saying the UK should not get involved “in another foreign war.”
Starmer said if the UK was “to send our service men and women into harm’s way, the very least they deserve is to know that they do so on a legal basis and with a proper, thought-through plan.”
Leaders battle rising energy costs as Trump urges reopening of Strait of Hormuz. Catch up
As the war in the Middle East persists, US President Donald Trump has urging countries around the world to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the transportation of oil.
Trump has named several countries he wants to send vessels to the strait, though many have yet to respond positively. European Union members are meeting in Brussels to discuss how to curb rising energy costs.
Meanwhile, strikes on countries across the region are continuing.
Catch up on the latest developments here:
- European leaders are “discussing” what they can do to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, the EU’s foreign policy chief said today, ahead of the bloc’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.
- China’s foreign ministry spokesperson sidestepped a question about sending ships to Strait of Hormuz, following a request from Trump for his country to do so.
- Germany’s foreign minister said that NATO should not play a role in securing the Strait of Hormuz after Trump warned the defense alliance would face a “very bad” future if it fails to assist.
- An “advanced fire” broke out in the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah petroleum industrial zone after it was targeted in a drone attack, Fujairah Media Office said today, adding that no injuries took place.
- A person was killed after a missile landed on a vehicle in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, officials said this morning.
CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim, Laura Sharman, Lex Harvey, Jessie Yeung and Ivana Kottasová contributed to this reporting.
Iran taunts Trump for asking allies for help with the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has criticized the United States for asking allies for help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while also demanding Iran surrenders.
“They carried out large-scale attacks and again repeated the demand for unconditional surrender. Today, after roughly 15 days (sic) since the war began, they are turning to other countries for help to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz and keep it open,” Araghchi said.
“From our perspective, the strait is open; it is only closed to our enemies and to those who carried out unjust aggression against our country,” he added.
Iran: Strait of Hormuz "not closed" but "under special conditions"
Iran said on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping chokepoint that carries about one-fifth of world’s crude oil, is “not closed” but operating under “special conditions.”
Ship traffic through the strait has been mostly halted since the start of the war more than two weeks ago, with Iran only allowing through a handful of vessels.
“Parties not involved in the military aggression against Iran have been able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with and with permission from our armed forces,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.
“No coastal country in such a situation can allow enemy ships and vessels to pass normally in order to strengthen themselves and carry out aggressive actions against that coastal state,” he added, adding that the US, Israel and their supporters “should naturally not be able to use the Strait of Hormuz to strike Iran.”
Iran threatens US Navy facilities in Red Sea
The Iranian military has warned that facilities in the Red Sea used by the US Navy will be considered “potential targets” – marking Tehran’s first explicit threat against the US military’s presence in the critical seaway.
“The presence of the US aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford in the Red Sea is considered a threat to Iran,” Iran’s unified military command said on Monday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
“Therefore, logistical and service centers supporting the mentioned naval group in the Red Sea will be regarded as potential targets by Iran’s armed forces.”
The Red Sea is home to several Saudi ports that handle oil exports and other commercial shipping.
Saudi Arabia has been increasing oil exports from Yanbu and other terminals on its Red Sea coast amid an almost complete shutdown of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Fire breaks out at major UAE oil hub that bypasses Hormuz
An “advanced fire” broke out in the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah petroleum industrial zone after it was targeted in a drone attack, Fujairah Media Office said on Monday, adding that no injuries took place.
“Civil defense teams in the emirate immediately dealt with the incident and are continuing their efforts to control it,” the media office said.
The fire comes after some operations at the port of Fujairah were disrupted following a drone attack and fire Saturday, according to reports from Reuters and Bloomberg. The blaze began when debris from an intercepted drone fell, the Fujairah Media Office said over the weekend, which did not mention any disruption to operations.
Iran’s military had earlier warned it would target UAE ports in retaliation for a strike on its Kharg Island that Iranian officials claimed came from UAE territory.
For context: The Fujairah port is a key UAE oil hub and the only one that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively shut. Fujairah exported more than 1.7 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined fuels on average last year, Reuters reported, citing Kpler data, a volume equal to about 1.7% of daily world demand.
Germany does not see role for NATO in securing Strait of Hormuz
Germany said on Monday that NATO should not play a role in securing the Strait of Hormuz after US President Donald Trump warned the defense alliance would face a “very bad” future if it fails to assist.
Speaking ahead of a Brussels meeting of EU member state foreign ministers in Brussels, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany did not see NATO “assuming responsibility” for the Strait of Hormuz.
Wadephul said Germany was in favour of imposing sanctions on “those responsible” for the blockade of the key shipping passage.
China is unlikely to play along with Trump's request for help in fixing the global crisis
Two weeks before President Donald Trump is scheduled to hash out critical US-China disputes in Beijing, he has set a new condition for the negotiations: help reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
China has little incentive to concede to his demands.
By closing the major shipping channel, Iran has effectively choked off one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, triggering price spikes and fears of energy shortages that could upend the global economy. Now facing the worst oil crisis in history, Trump is calling on other nations, including France, Japan, South Korea and Britain, to work together to secure the strait.
To persuade China, Trump is exerting additional pressure. In an interview with the Financial Times published Sunday, he said he wants to know whether China will provide assistance before his planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the end of the month. Without an answer, Trump added, he may decide to delay his trip.
“It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump told the FT. “I think China should help too.”
On the face of it, that request is extraordinary – Trump is asking China to risk its own military assets in a war the US started against a Beijing-friendly nation, and threatening to withhold diplomacy otherwise.
But China is better positioned than the rest of Asia to endure a prolonged energy crisis.
Read the full analysis here.
How countries have reacted so far to Trump's call to help secure the Strait of Hormuz
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 yesterday. 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.
Here’s what they have said:
China has made no mention of sending ships to the strait but expressed alarm at the conflict, hours after Trump urged Beijing to help. When asked about Trump saying he could postpone a planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday: “Head-of-state diplomacy plays an indispensable role in providing strategic guidance to China-US relations.” He added that the two sides remain in communication regarding the summit.
Japan is currently not planning to send ships, 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.
China sidesteps question about sending ships to Strait of Hormuz
China’s foreign ministry again expressed alarm over the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing Middle East conflict, while making no mention of sending ships to help secure the vital waterway — hours after US President Donald Trump urged Beijing to do.
Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian described the situation as “tense” and undermining global stability, adding: “China once again calls on all parties to immediately cease military actions, avoid further escalation of tensions, and prevent regional turbulence from inflicting greater impacts on global economic development.”
Earlier, Trump had said in an interview with the Financial Times published Sunday that he could postpone a planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, adding that “China should help too because China gets 90% of its oil from the Straits.”
He also sidestepped a question about whether China had received any request from the US to send ships to the waters around the Strait of Hormuz.
China isn’t the only country under pressure from the US to send assistance. On Saturday, Trump had said that “hopefully, China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others” will send naval assets to free up shipping lanes in the waterway — which has been effectively closed since the start of the war.
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.
One 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.
