Our live coverage has ended
What we know so far
• Iran oil: In a Financial Times interview, President Donald Trump raised the prospect of the US taking Iran’s oil and added he’s still considering whether to seize key fuel hub Kharg Island.
• 15-point plan: Trump said Iran has agreed to “most of” the 15-point list of demands from the US to end the war. Last week, however, Tehran had not immediately accepted the plan and signaled skepticism of Washington’s position. He also claimed there has been “regime change” in Iran.
• US troops: Iran’s parliament speaker accused the US of “secretly planning a ground invasion” while talking of negotiations.
• Wartime diplomacy: Pakistan said it is prepared to host talks between the US and Iran “in coming days,” after meeting with regional leaders in Islamabad.
• Energy costs: Oil prices climbed and Asian stocks fell after Tehran warned against a US ground invasion as more troops were deployed in the region. The Strait of Hormuz continues to be effectively closed.
Trump says he would like to "take Iran’s oil" in Financial Times interview
US President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of the US taking Iran’s oil in an interview with the Financial Times.
Speaking on Sunday, Trump told the newspaper that his “preference would be to take the oil,” as he weighs whether to seize Iran’s key fuel export hub at Kharg Island. He likened the potential move to the US ambitions to control Venezuela’s oil industry following the capture of its leader Nicolás Maduro in January.
Trump added that US forces would likely need to remain there for an extended period.
“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump said. “It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.”
The island, which handles 90% of Tehran’s oil exports, has long been critical to Iran’s economy.
The US previously targeted military installations on Kharg Island with strikes on March 13, with Central Command saying that 90 targets had been hit, including “naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites.”
Canberra cuts fuel taxes and charges to "Keep Australia Moving"
Fuel taxes will be cut from Wednesday to make it cheaper for Australians to fill up their tanks under new measures to offset some of the fallout of the war in Iran.
A three-month cut in fuel excise will see the price of a petrol and diesel drop about 26 Australian cents per liter. A liter of unleaded petrol currently costs about 2.53 Australian dollars or about $1.73, according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum.
Truck drivers will also get a three-month reprieve from the heavy vehicle road user charge, which is usually paid to help the government maintain roads.
The measures were announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday after a cabinet meeting that agreed on a four-stage National Fuel Security Plan.
The four stages are:
- Plan and prepare
- Keeping Australia moving
- Taking targeted action
- Protecting critical services for all Australians
Australia is currently at level 2, which suggests fuel supply continues to operate effectively with some localized supply disruption, Albanese said. The national cabinet would decide any move to level 3, which could trigger a release of more fuel stocks and other measures.
Asked for his view on US President Donald Trump’s handling of the war with Iran, Albanese said: “I want to see more certainty in what the objectives of the war are, and I want to see a de-escalation. A de-escalation is in the global economy’s interests.”
Asian markets slide as conflict extends to its fifth week
Asian stocks fell on Monday, and oil prices rose on Sunday after Tehran warned against a US ground invasion, as more troops were deployed to the region.
Japan’s benchmark index Nikkei 225 led the decline, plunging nearly 5% early Monday. It then pared some losses and was down 4.5% at 10:06 pm ET. South Korea’s Kospi shed 3.7%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped 1.6%.
The Middle East conflict, now in its fifth week, has sent oil prices surging, heightening investor concerns about the long-term impact of the global economy as rising prices add to inflation pressure.
Asian economies are also feeling the brunt of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and gas shipping route, as they rely heavily on energy imports from the Middle East transported through this channel.
Vital US radar aircraft destroyed in Iranian strike, images show
An Iranian strike on an air base in Saudi Arabia appears to have destroyed a US Air Force E-3 Sentry aircraft, vital for its airborne warning and control system, or AWACS, that enables airborne monitoring of up to 120,000 square miles of battlespace.
Images of the wrecked aircraft began appearing on social media sites over the weekend. CNN geolocated the images to the Prince Sultan Air Base in central Saudi Arabia by comparing them to a satellite image from March 11, which showed an E-3 Sentry aircraft at the same location as the wreckage seen in the recent photos.
CNN has previously reported that an attack on the air base left at least 10 US service members injured. No fatalities were reported. A US Air Force tanker aircraft was also damaged, sources said.
In the images, the E-3s distinct rotating radar dome can be seen on the ground by the damaged aircraft.
The E-3 Sentry plays a key role in US military battlespace management.
With the ability to track around 600 targets at one time, the AWACS crew can provide commanders and combat units with information on exactly where enemy, friendly and neutral forces are and help direct attacks and defenses.
The 30-foot-diameter radar dome is carried on struts 11 feet above the fuselage, enabling the Sentry to give a view of the battlespace from the ground to the stratosphere at a range of 250 miles, covering about 120,000 square miles, the Air Force says.
Worker killed in attack on Kuwait power plant, news agency reports
A worker from India was killed in Kuwait on Monday after a service building at a power and water distillation plant was damaged in an Iranian attack, reported Kuwait News Agency.
The news outlet, citing the energy ministry, added that technical and emergency teams “immediately dealt with the repercussions of the incident.”
Several foreign workers have been killed or injured in the region since the conflict began. Laborers from South Asia play a key part in the region’s economic engine and are essential to the Gulf’s prosperity. Yet, they remain among its most exposed and unprotected demographic.
The International Labor Organization estimates there are more than 24 million migrant workers in the Arab states.
Trump says Iran agrees to "most of" US demands. Here's the latest
US President Donald Trump said Iran has agreed to “most of” the 15-point list of demands that the US conveyed, via Pakistan, to end the war.
“They gave us most of the points. Why wouldn’t they?” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
However, Tehran had not immediately accepted the plan last week and signaled skepticism of Washington’s position.
Catch up on his comments:
- Iran’s oil “present”: The oil that Tehran said it will give to the US will be shipped tomorrow to “prove they’re serious,” said Trump. “They gave us 20 boatloads of oil that starts being shipped tomorrow,” he said.
- Kharg Island: The president said he is still considering whether to seize Iran’s Kharg Island, a key fuel hub in the northern Persian Gulf, adding that US forces would likely need to remain there for an extended period.
- “Regime change”: Trump claimed there has been “regime change” in Iran during the course of the war. Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was elevated to the position his father held. Top Iranian officials have also been killed in strikes.
Meanwhile in Pakistan, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called a meeting of officials from four countries in the region “very productive.”
Here’s what else you should know:
- The Israeli military said it is carrying out strikes on targets belonging to the Iranian regime across Tehran, the country’s capital.
- Oil prices climbed today after Tehran warned against a US ground invasion.
- A senior Iranian security official told CNN Tehran will determine when the war ends, and signaled Iran is prepared to sustain offensive operations for an extended period. The statement pushes back on US assessments that the conflict could be wrapped up within weeks.
- Media outlets linked to Iran’s armed forces publicized a new volunteer registration campaign in Tehran that allows participants as young as 12 to sign up for roles tied to security and support activities.
- Australia is implementing free public transport in two states under new measures designed to ease the burden of rising fuel costs.
Trump says Tehran “for the most part” has accepted US’ 15-point plan
President Donald Trump said Sunday that Iran has agreed to “most of” the 15-point list of demands that the US conveyed, via Pakistan, to end the war.
Asked whether Iran responded to those points, the president told reporters aboard Air Force One, “They gave us most of the points. Why wouldn’t they?”
“They’re agreeing with us on the plan. We asked for 15 things, and for the most part, we’re going to be asking for a couple of other things,” Trump continued.
Tehran did not immediately accept the 15-point plan last week. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has previously acknowledged that messages have been exchanged through intermediaries but signaled skepticism of Washington’s position.
Trump also said Iran has given the US oil that will be shipped tomorrow to “prove they’re serious.” Trump said when he talked last week about Iran giving the US a “present,” it was “10 massive boatloads of oil.”
“And today they gave us another present. They gave us 20 boatloads of oil that starts being shipped tomorrow,” he said.
“We’re having very good meetings, both directly and indirectly, and I think we’re getting a lot of very important points,” Trump continued.
For context: As CNN has previously reported, the 15-point plan is believed to include: Iran committing to no nuclear weapons, handing over its highly enriched uranium, limits on Tehran’s defense capabilities, an end to regional proxy groups and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump previously told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that Iran had committed to not having a nuclear weapon, something Tehran has said publicly in the past.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Trump again weighs seizing Kharg Island, but says it may require troops “for a while”
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he is still considering whether to seize Iran’s Kharg Island, a key fuel hub in the northern Persian Gulf, adding that US forces would likely need to remain there for an extended period.
“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump told the Financial Times. “It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while,” the president added.
The island, which handles 90% of Tehran’s oil exports, has long been critical to Iran’s economy.
The US military already targeted Kharg with strikes on March 13, with Central Command saying that 90 targets had been hit, including “naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites.”
US officials have developed options for capturing Kharg Island or authorizing a bombing raid aimed at effectively wiping out its oil infrastructure, CNN has previously reported. White House officials believe that taking Kharg Island would “totally bankrupt” Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, one official previously told CNN, potentially paving the way for a definitive end to the war.
Meanwhile, Iran has been laying traps and moving additional military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in recent weeks in preparation for a possible US operation, multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue previously told CNN.
Trump claims there has been “regime change” in Iran
President Donald Trump claimed Sunday that there has been “regime change” in Iran during the course of the war.
“We’ve had regime change, if you look already, because the one regime was decimated, destroyed, they’re all dead,” the president told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“The next regime is mostly dead, and the third regime, we’re dealing with different people than anybody’s dealt with before. It’s a whole different group of people. So I would consider that regime change, and frankly, they’ve been very reasonable,” he continued.
Some context: Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was elevated to the position his father held for nearly four decades after the elder Khamenei’s death in US-Israeli air strikes. Top Iranian officials, including one of its most powerful decision-makers, Ali Larijani, have also been killed in strikes.
The president’s comments come as Pakistan has said it is prepared to host talks between the US and Iran “in coming days,” after meeting with regional leaders in Islamabad to discuss efforts on de-escalating the conflict.
Free public transport in two Australia states to ease fuel cost burden
Public transport will be free in two Australian states under new measures designed to ease the burden of rising fuel costs as the war in Iran continues to strain global supplies.
In Victoria, trains, trams and buses will be free during April, while Tasmania will offer free transport on buses and ferries until July 1.
The measures come as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convenes a meeting of state and territory leaders to discuss a nationwide response to rising oil prices.
Ministers will discuss the possibility of fuel rationing, fuel tax cuts and potential work from home guidance, though the government says it won’t be issuing Covid-style mandates.
Later Monday, parliament will consider new fuel security powers to allow the government to underwrite the cost of shiploads of fuel on the international market.
“It is to help companies in the spot market add to supply and to undertake transactions that they would find it very difficult to undertake by themselves in this very volatile international environment,” Energy Minister Chris Bowen told ABC Radio Monday.
The government blames higher demand for fuel shortages in rural areas, and while officials insist oil is still flowing to Australia, they concede the outlook is unclear.
Brent oil advances as Iran war stretches into fifth week
Pakistan may be ready to facilitate peace talks, but investors are deeply concerned that the war — and its supply disruptions — will drag on.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, is rising on the back of a number negative data points about the conflict, including Iran’s warning against a US ground invasion, Houthi rebels’ first strikes on Israel since the start of the war, and the arrival of USS Tripoli in the region with 3,500 US service members on board.
Due to Iran’s selective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the cost of energy is soaring as the world is losing as much as 20 million barrels of oil per day from Middle East producers.
Since the war began five weeks ago, Brent crude is trading up more than 50%.
According to the IEA, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is the biggest oil shock in history.
Will Iran’s new supreme leader allow a nuclear weapon?
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to signal whether he’ll uphold or abandon the country’s ban on nuclear weapons, leaving Iran’s nuclear direction unclear. CNN’s Mostafa Salem reports.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to signal whether he’ll uphold or abandon the country’s ban on nuclear weapons, leaving Iran’s nuclear direction unclear. CNN’s Mostafa Salem reports.
Oil prices climb after Iran warns against US ground invasion
Oil prices climbed Sunday after Tehran warned against a US ground invasion.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 2.47% to $107.92, while US crude rose 2.94% to $102.57.
The war has caused the largest oil disruption in history because of the Strait of Hormuz’s closure, which 20% of the world’s oil flows through. Strikes targeting oil and gas facilities have also triggered higher gas prices. Americans are paying for the effects of the war at the pump: a gallon of gas in the US cost $3.98 on average Sunday.
Stock futures also fell Sunday, with Dow futures down 0.53%, or 241 points. S&P 500 futures fell 0.46%, while Nasdaq futures declined 0.48%.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Frozen US job market might stay on ice due to the war
Job growth was lackluster last year in the United States, but signs of stabilization, if not a rebound, were starting to emerge.
Now, the expanding conflict in the Middle East not only interrupts that potential progress, but also threatens to knock the labor market further off course.
Since the war began thirty days ago, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has increased oil prices, hampered the supply chain and pushed up the cost of gasoline. Inflation fears have heightened, as has uncertainty. That’s a dynamic that could strangle the labor market.
The listless, anemic, “low-hire, low-fire” labor market dynamic is expected to persist … for now.
“Uncertainty is delaying, not canceling, hiring plans,” Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told CNN last week.
Daco currently expects a “jobless” expansion, with employment gains of around 20,000 per month in the first half of the year and unemployment (currently at 4.4%) drifting toward 4.7% by the end of the year.
“With recession odds around 40%, the risk is that a prolonged pause in hiring eventually turns into more visible softening,” he wrote. “For now, it’s still a cooling, not a cracking. But if uncertainty were to re-escalate, those cracks could emerge by late-spring.”
Read more about how the war could impact the US job market here.
Iran launches volunteer campaign accepting participants aged 12 and older
Media outlets linked to Iran’s security establishment have publicized a new volunteer registration campaign in Tehran that allows participants as young as 12 to sign up for roles tied to security and support activities.
According to a post this week by Defa Press, a media outlet affiliated with Iran’s armed forces, the initiative was announced by Iran’s paramilitary forces known as Basij under the title “Homeland Defender Fighters for Iran.” The campaign is being promoted under the broader slogan “For Iran.”
Officials described the effort as a way to mobilize public assistance and draw on citizens’ abilities across several fields, including defense-related tasks, logistical support and relief work.
Defa Press reported that individuals aged 12 and older are eligible to register for the campaign.
The campaign is part of a wave of Iranian propaganda, CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh reports:
With the US sending reinforcements to the Gulf, the Iranian regime has been rolling out propaganda on state media claiming they have more than a million troops organized to fight US forces. CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh reports.
Additional details about the initiative appeared in a video clip shared by Tasnim News, a semi-official Iranian news agency. The segment, which appears to come from Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) discussing the program, outlines several potential roles for volunteers.
Among the positions mentioned are participation in “intelligence patrols,” operational patrols and checkpoint duties, suggesting that some volunteers could take part in activities linked to monitoring or local security operations.
Iran has previously relied on mass mobilization structures linked to its paramilitary networks, particularly the Basij, which operates under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and has historically recruited volunteers for both wartime and domestic security roles.
Meeting between four regional countries "very productive," Pakistani official says
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called a meeting of officials from four countries in the region “very productive” in a statement released after talks concluded today.
Foreign ministers from Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan met in Islamabad, Pakistan, where they discussed regional issues and “possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region,” Dar wrote.
Dar also said Pakistan is prepared to host and facilitate talks between the US and Iran “in coming days,” saying both the countries gave their “full support” to potential negotiations.
Here are other key takeaways from the meeting, according to Dar:
- The group agreed the war is “not in favour of anyone and would only lead to death and destruction,” according to the statement. Unity of Muslim identity during the war was of “utmost importance,” he added.
- They expressed concern over the war’s “devastating impact on lives and livelihoods” across the Middle East.
- The foreign ministers agreed that dialogue and diplomacy were the “only viable pathway” to prevent conflict and promote regional peace.
- They talked about ways to strengthen unity among the four countries to de-escalate and “create conditions for structured negotiations between relevant parties.”
CNN’s Sophia Saifi and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
Israeli military says it is carrying out strikes on targets in Tehran
The Israeli military said Sunday it is currently carrying out strikes on targets belonging to the Iranian regime across the capital Tehran.
In a brief statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its forces are “currently striking Iranian terror regime targets across Tehran,” without providing immediate details on the specific locations or the scale of the operation.
There were no immediate comments from Iranian authorities regarding these strikes.
Iranian official says Tehran will decide war’s end
A senior Iranian security official told CNN that Tehran will determine when the war ends and signaled Iran is prepared to sustain offensive operations for an extended period, pushing back on US assessments that the conflict could be wrapped up within weeks.
The official said earlier US estimates that the war would last only a few days were wrong, and dismissed as unrealistic a claim by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the fighting would continue for a few weeks.
“This is our war, and we will not stop defending until we teach ( US President Donald) Trump and (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu a historic lesson,” the official told CNN.
The official also said Iran’s missile and drone arsenal is prepared to support long-term operations, and claimed Iran is tightening its air defenses by updating deployment patterns, monitoring corridors used by fighter jets to enter Iranian airspace, and introducing new equipment — steps the official said would impose “harsher conditions” on Iran’s enemies.
Rubio told reporters in France ahead of the Group of Seven meeting on Friday that “When we are done with (the Iranian regime) here over the next couple of weeks, they will be weaker than they’ve been in recent history.”
US Central Command chief meets with IDF forces in Israel
US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper met with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other top Israeli generals in Israel today, an Israeli source with knowledge of the meeting told CNN.
According to the sources, the meeting focused on the war against Iran and efforts to halt Iranian weapons production.
This comes a day after IDF spokesman Effie Defrin said Israel is a “few days” away from finishing a campaign targeting all of the “critical” assets of Iran’s military production industries.
CNN has reached out to the CENTCOM for comment.
