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Follow the latest updates on the war with Iran here.
What we know
• Iran ports blockade: Vice President JD Vance accused Iran of “economic terrorism” by essentially closing the Strait of Hormuz. He defended the US blockade of Iranian ports, which started over 12 hours ago with President Donald Trump threatening Iranian ships, as an equal response. One ship did cross the strait after Trump’s order, according to reports.
• US-Iran talks: The US and Iran are still communicating, a US official told CNN, after peace talks in Pakistan failed. US officials are discussing details for a potential second in-person meeting with the Iranians, a source said.
• Trump-Pope spat: Trump again denounced Pope Leo for his position against the war, as a feud between the pontiff and US president escalates.
Vance on Iran stopping ships through Strait of Hormuz: "Two can play at that game"
Vice President JD Vance accused Iran of “economic terrorism” by essentially closing the Strait of Hormuz – and defended the US’ blockade of Iranian ports as an equal response.
Iran’s shutting of the strait amounts to “economic terrorism against the entire world,” Vance told Fox News’ Bret Baier on Monday. “They basically threatened any ship that’s moving through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The naval blockade began at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, after weekend peace talks in Pakistan ended without a breakthrough. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed to retaliate, and Iranian officials have warned of the ripple effects on the global economy, including to the American consumer.
Rubio will participate in Israel-Lebanon talks, official says
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will participate in the direct talks between Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday, a State Department official said.
The US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and State Department counselor Michael Needham will also be part of the US delegation for the negotiations, which will be held at the US State Department.
The Israeli and Lebanese delegations will be led by their ambassadors, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh, respectively.
“This conversation will scope the ongoing dialogue about how to ensure the long-term security of Israel’s northern border and to support the Government of Lebanon’s determination to reclaim full sovereignty over its territory and political life,” the State Department official said. “Israel is at war with Hizballah, not Lebanon, so there is no reason the two neighbors should not be talking.”
Iran's foreign minister warns of "provocative US actions" in call with Russian counterpart
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Monday that “provocative” US actions could have “dangerous consequences” for global peace and security.
During a phone call between the two men, Araghchi reviewed the latest regional developments following the announcement of a ceasefire and subsequent Iran-US talks in Islamabad.
He “warned of the dangerous consequences of provocative US actions in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz for regional and global peace and security,” the Iranian foreign ministry said.
The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that Lavrov welcomed the two-week Iran ceasefire and stressed that Moscow believes the agreements apply to Lebanon as well.
Lavrov also said Russia remains ready to “help find solutions that would overcome the consequences of the unprovoked American-Israeli aggression against Iran,” the foreign ministry said.
Vance says ball is in Iran's court on any future negotiations
Vice President JD Vance said it’s up to Iran whether there are more direct talks with the US.
“It’s a question that would be best put to the Iranians because the ball really is in their court,” Vance told Fox News’ Bret Baier on Monday.
“We must have their conclusive commitment to not develop a nuclear weapon. And I think that if the Iranians are willing to meet us there, then this can be a very, very good deal for both countries. If they’re not willing to meet us there, that’s up to them,” he said.
The vice president added that the Iranian team in Pakistan was not in a position to “cut a deal,” which is why he said the US left after 21 hours of negotiations.
“I do think that we acquired some knowledge about how the Iranians are negotiating — and this is ultimately why we left Pakistan. Because what we figured out is that they were unable, I think the team that was there was unable to cut a deal, and they had to go back to Tehran, either from the supreme leader or somebody else, and actually get approval to the terms that we had said set.”
He added that progress was made — but not enough on removing Iran’s enriched uranium and ensuring Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
“They moved in our direction, which is why, I think we would say that we had some good signs, but they didn’t move far enough,” Vance said, putting the onus on Iran to come back to the table.
“There really is, I think, a grand deal to be had here, but it’s up to the Iranians, I think, to take the next step.”
Iranian embassy mocks Trump’s latest threats in several AI-generated visuals
The Iranian embassy in South Africa has shared several AI-generated memes in the past few hours on its official X account, mocking US President Donald Trump and criticizing his latest threats.
“The miserable pirates of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” reads the caption for an image the embassy posted today depicting an AI-generated Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as pirates.
Meanwhile, a 1980s-style music video shows an AI-generated Trump playing a keyboard and singing such lyrics as, “I will never give you up, the Strait of Hormuz must be shut … If you block me then I block you.”
The embassy also shared a now-deleted image depicting Trump as a Christ-like figure healing the sick while surrounded by American flags and eagles as part of a wider mocking campaign by the embassy. The photo was originally posted on Trump’s Truth Social account late Sunday night but has since been removed following friction with Pope Leo XIV over Iran.
US Navy has at least 15 ships in region that could participate in blockade
The US Navy has at least 15 ships — including an aircraft carrier and 11 destroyers — in the Middle East region, according to a US official, as the Navy begins a maritime blockade on traffic to and from Iran’s ports at President Donald Trump’s direction.
It’s unclear where exactly each ship is or which could be participating in the blockade; previous accountings of the vessels by CNN have shown them dispersed among the US Central Command area of operations.
The ships include:
Aircraft carrier:
- USS Abraham Lincoln
Destroyers:
- USS Bainbridge
- USS Thomas Hudner
- USS Frank E. Petersen Jr.
- USS Delbert D. Black
- USS John Finn
- USS Michael Murphy
- USS Mitscher
- USS Pinckney
- USS Rafael Peralta
- USS Spruance
- USS Milius
Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group
- USS Tripoli
- USS New Orleans
- USS Rushmore
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, which has been participating in US operations in the war with Iran, moved to Greece for repairs last month but is now operating in the eastern Mediterranean, according to a public tracker by USNI News. The ship is joined by several destroyers and other support ships, but it would need to transit either through the Suez Canal or out of the Mediterranean and around Africa before it would be in a position to assist in the blockade.
Oil prices likely to "peak" in next few weeks, US energy secretary says
Oil prices will likely climb until tankers get through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, but that could change in coming weeks, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Monday.
“We’re going to see energy prices high, and maybe even rising” until “meaningful ship traffic” gets through the key waterway, Wright told attendees at the Semafor World Economy conference. At that point, oil prices will “peak,” he said, and he anticipates that this will occur “sometime in the next few weeks.”
Oil prices are largely a bellwether for gas prices, given they are the main cost driver for the prices paid at the pump. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, has risen by around 40% since the war began. On Monday, prices rose, nearing $100 a barrel.
A month ago, Wright said there was a “very good chance” Americans could see gas prices go down to at least $3 a gallon by the summer.
But Wright, like President Donald Trump, warned Monday gas prices are likely to continue to rise and remain elevated for months.
Pezeshkian to Macron: Iran will negotiate only under international law
In a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed that unreasonable US demands prevented an agreement in weekend talks between Washington and Tehran in Pakistan.
“We have clearly stated the ceasefire conditions and remain committed to them,” Pezeshkian told Macron according to Iranian state media. “The US excessive demands prevented reaching an agreement. … Iran will continue negotiations only within the framework of international law.”
“Threatening the Strait of Hormuz will have widespread consequences for the world,” Pezeshkian added, referring to Trump’s threat to blockade Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf.
Earlier today, Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that Tehran could unveil new military capabilities and tactics if the conflict continues.
Mohebi also said Iran would introduce “new forms of warfare” that, he claimed, opponents would have limited ability to counter.
Trump tips DoorDasher $100, as White House tries to juggle domestic politics and Iran war
President Donald Trump gave a $100 tip to a DoorDasher who brought McDonald’s to the Oval Office on Monday, in an appearance he joked didn’t “look staged.”
A photographer in the press pool captured Trump passing the Benjamin to Sharon Simmons, who hails from Arkansas.
The gathering, meant to tout provisions in a GOP law that limited taxes on tips, underscored the White House’s strained effort to juggle domestic politics while waging war in Iran.
CNN caught up with Simmons outside the White House after her delivery. She reiterated how she has benefited from Trump’s “no tax on tips” policy, while also acknowledging a struggle with higher gas prices due to the Iran war.
“Obviously gas prices, they hit us all. It’s not just us; it’s everybody,” she said. “DoorDash is such a good company that they’ve got programs to help us. They’ve got several incentives to help us with the strain of the gas prices. Of course, you know, with ‘no tax on tips,’ that helps out.”
Julian Crowley, a DoorDash spokesperson, said the company has launched an emergency relief program offering “10% cash back on all gas purchases and a weekly relief payment based on how far a Dasher drives.”
The latest: US blocks Iranian ports as Trump officials discuss second meeting
A US military blockade of Iranian ports is in effect after the two countries failed to reach a peace deal over the weekend. President Donald Trump warned that the US will sink any Iranian “fast attack ships” that come near the blockade.
The US president said his administration received a call from officials in Iran this morning and that Tehran wants “to make a deal very badly.”
Here’s a rundown of the latest developments:
- State of US-Iran negotiations: The United States and Iran are still engaged in talks, a US official told CNN. Trump officials are discussing details for a potential second in-person meeting with the Iranians, a source familiar with the matter said. A major sticking point in talks has been the stipulation that Iran forgo a nuclear weapon, Trump said. He said Tehran did not agree to that, and “if they don’t agree, there’s no deal.”
- Port blockade: Trump said “other countries” are offering to help the blockade of Iranian ports, but he didn’t say which countries. France and the United Kingdom will convene talks aimed at “restoring freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
- What Iran is saying: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned against the blockade in calls with his Saudi Arabian and Qatari counterparts. Earlier, Iran’s acting defense minister said the country’s armed forces are on “maximum combat alert.”
- Continued threats: Asked whether his threat that “a whole civilization will die” still stands if the two-week ceasefire ends without an agreement, Trump declined to comment directly but said it “won’t be pleasant” for Iran.
- Trump feuds with Pope: Trump again denounced Pope Leo XIV for his position against the war in Iran, saying the pontiff was “wrong” and “very weak on crime.” Pope Leo, who has been increasingly vocal about the US and Israel’s war with Iran, said he does not fear the Trump administration.
- Fake image: Trump said he thought a fake image depicting him as Jesus was showing him as a doctor. The image has been deleted from the president’s Truth Social feed. “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross,” he said.
- Israel-Lebanon talks: Lebanese and Israeli diplomats are set to take part in negotiations in Washington tomorrow. The leader of the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has called on Lebanon’s government to reject the talks.
CNN’s David Goldman, Sharon Braithwaite, Hira Humayun, Michael Williams, Alayna Treene, Aileen Graef, Maureen Chowdhury, Sarah Hutter, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Eyad Kourdi contributed to this report.
Iranian ayatollah praises Pope Leo’s stance on Mideast war
Iranian Grand Ayatollah Noori Hamedani praised Pope Leo XIV for what he called the pontiff’s “courageous stance” against the US and Israel, according to a letter shared by Iranian official media on Monday.
Leo, the first American pope, has become increasingly vocal about the US and Israel’s war with Iran, and he has condemned President Donald Trump’s rhetoric against the people of Iran as “truly unacceptable.”
Hamedani, an influential religious figure, said Leo’s courage in speaking out against Trump in the pope’s pursuit of peace would “immortalize your name and actions on a global scale.”
“We, in turn, appreciate your rightful stance as the respected leader of the world’s Catholics and as a bearer of the message of Jesus Christ,” Hamedani said in a letter sent to the pope at the Vatican.
Hamedani’s letter comes amid growing friction between Trump and the pope over the war. Leo has said he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and will continue to speak out despite pushback from Trump.
The president earlier Monday denounced the pope’s stance on the Iran war and said he was “terrible for foreign policy.” Asked if he owes Pope Leo an apology, Trump said: “No, I don’t, because Pope Leo said things that are wrong.”
German leader urges Netanyahu to end fighting in Lebanon
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cease hostilities in Lebanon, where Israel says it is striking the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Merz encouraged Netanyahu to start direct peace talks with the Lebanese government and stressed that Hezbollah should disarm, according to government spokesman Stefan Kornelius.
Merz also expressed his “grave concern” about developments in the Palestinian territories in a telephone call with Netanyahu this evening. The German leader demanded that there “must be no de facto partial annexation of the West Bank.”
Israeli and Lebanese diplomats are set to meet for talks in Washington tomorrow. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he hopes the meeting will result in a ceasefire.
Israel’s military and Hezbollah continue to exchange fire, and Lebanese authorities say more than 2,000 people have been killed in the country since March 2.
Trump officials discussing another potential in-person meeting with Iranians
Trump officials are internally discussing details for a potential second, in-person meeting with Iranian officials before the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran expires next week, should the opportunity present itself, a source familiar with the talks told CNN, though it’s unclear whether such a meeting could materialize.
Officials are looking at potential dates and locations should ongoing talks with Iran and mediators in the region progress in the coming days, the source said, describing the discussions as preliminary.
“We need to be prepared to stand something up quickly should things head in that direction,” the source said.
Saturday’s marathon meeting in Islamabad was the culmination of weeks of negotiations with top-ranking US officials and intermediaries including Pakistan, but also Turkey, Egypt and Oman, among others.
A regional source told CNN there could be another round of negotiations and Turkey is working to bridge the gaps between the two sides.
Several locations for Saturday’s negotiations had been floated before all parties agreed on Islamabad, including Geneva, Vienna and Istanbul. Geneva and Islamabad are again on the table as potential options for another round, the source familiar said.
Administration officials remain hopeful a diplomatic off ramp is achievable, people familiar with the talks said. Depending on the pace of negotiations in the coming days, the US and Iran could also extend the ceasefire deadline to allow for more time, they said.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this reporting.
Hezbollah calls for cancellation of "futile" Israel-Lebanon talks
The leader of the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has called on Lebanon’s government to reject planned talks with Israel tomorrow, calling them “futile.”
He added that Israel is “clearly saying” the negotiations aim to disarm Hezbollah. “We call for rejecting these negotiations,” he said.
Lebanese and Israeli diplomats are set to take part in negotiations in Washington tomorrow, amid fears that the Israeli strikes in Lebanon could threaten a delicate ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with Iran. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said earlier today that he hopes the talks will result in a ceasefire and that the negotiations are “the responsibility of the Lebanese state, and no other party,” an oblique reference to Hezbollah.
Qassem, meanwhile, said the group would not surrender and would continue to respond to Israeli attacks. Pushing back against the planned talks, the Hezbollah chief said, “No one has the right to make that decision on behalf of the Lebanese people.”
Israel currently occupies much of southern Lebanon and continues to strike targets deep within the country. Lebanese authorities say that more than 2,000 people have been killed and over 6,500 wounded since March 2.
Sanctioned oil tanker clears Strait of Hormuz, data shows, appearing to defy US blockade
An oil tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday afternoon after the Trump administration’s blockade on Iranian shipping was set to take effect, according to data published by Kpler, a data intelligence and analytics platform on global trade flows.
The ship, registered in Comoros as Elpis, is partially laden and was sanctioned by the United States in 2025 for its “involvement in the sale, purchase, and transportation of Iranian petroleum” as part of Iran’s shadow fleet.
Conversely, a Botswana-registered tanker, Ostria, turned back while attempting to transit the strait. Just 41 minutes after Trump’s deadline, the ship changed its intended destination from Oman to the United Arab Emirates after turning around, according to CNN’s review of Kpler ship-tracking data.
Minutes after the blockade took effect, another tanker, Rich Starry, broadcast its status as “drifting” off the coast of Qeshm Island, apparently stalling its voyage through the channel.
Hours before the start of the US blockade, shipping data showed traffic at the key waterway had thinned.
Iran warns against blockade in phone calls with Persian Gulf countries
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with the Saudi Arabian and Qatari foreign ministers Monday afternoon to discuss what Iran called “the risks posed by provocative US actions” in blocking Iranian ports.
While emphasizing “Iran’s good-faith approach in accepting the ceasefire” between the United States and Iran, Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart, “Unfortunately, we witnessed the continuation of the American side’s greed in the negotiations, which caused the failure to reach a result,” according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. He referred to talks in Pakistan over the weekend that failed to produce a breakthrough.
In another phone call with Qatar’s foreign minister today, Araghchi stressed that Tehran “has responsibly entered the diplomatic process to protect its national interests and safeguard regional peace and security.”
Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei warned today in a post on X that the US threats to blockade Iranian ports would amount to retaliation against the global economy.
China’s top diplomat urges continuation of ceasefire, calling it "extremely fragile"
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said blockading Iranian ports doesn’t serve the world’s “common interests” and called on the international community to “intensify its efforts to promote peace talks” in meetings with other senior diplomats today.
In a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Wang urged the international community to promote talks to preserve the “extremely fragile” ceasefire between the US and Iran.
“The urgent task is to prevent the resumption of hostilities and maintain the hard-won momentum of the ceasefire,” according to a readout of the call issued by China’s Foreign Ministry.
Separately, Wang met with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, the United Arab Emirates’ special envoy to China, where he outlined that blockading the Strait of Hormuz — as the US began doing earlier today, along with other ports in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman — “doesn’t serve the common interests of the international community,” according to a summary of the meeting posted on X by Lin Jian, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
“Achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire through political and diplomatic means is the fundamental way forward,” the post said.
Some context: Throughout this war, China has sought to position itself as an outwardly neutral party while at the same time as maintaining its relationship with Iran, whose oil it heavily depends on. US intelligence indicates that Beijing is preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks, three sources told CNN. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said that “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict.”
Trump's "staged" DoorDash delivery highlights administration's midterm struggle on Iran
Moments after President Donald Trump abruptly summoned reporters to the West Wing, he opened the door to greet a woman wearing a “DoorDash Grandma” T-shirt and bearing two big bags of McDonald’s food.
“This doesn’t look staged, does it?” Trump asked the assembled press pool, before spending about 15 minutes answering questions on the Iran war, including on failed negotiations over the weekend, the Strait of Hormuz and criticism from Pope Leo XIV.
The gathering was clearly meant to tout provisions in a GOP law that limited taxes on tips, which Trump and Republicans are hoping will bolster their midterm chances in November. But it mainly underscored the White House’s strained effort to juggle domestic politics while simultaneously waging war in Iran.
Trump is slated to make trips to Nevada and Arizona later this week to tout his tax policies, resuming domestic travel that advisers once viewed as key to energizing midterm voters — but that’s largely been put on hold since attacking Iran in late February.
Trump during the planned appearance briefly touted his policy eliminating taxes on tips, which the DoorDash Grandma — real name, Sharon Simmons — said “helped my family out immensely.”
At one point, the president tried to bring the delivery woman back into the conversation, pressing her over transgender women’s ability to participate in women’s sports. But Simmons demurred.
“I really don’t have an opinion on that,” she said. “I’m here about no tax on tips.”
US and Iran still engaged in talks, US official says
The US and Iran are still engaged in talks as the two sides work toward a diplomatic off-ramp for the war, a US official told CNN.
“There is continued engagement between the US and Iran and forward motion on trying to get an agreement,” the official said.
The statement comes after a marathon session of negotiations in Pakistan on Saturday between Washington and Tehran failed to produce a breakthrough. It is unclear whether the US and Iranian delegations will meet in person at a future date.
President Donald Trump said today that Iran had called the Trump administration earlier in the morning. “They’d like to make a deal very badly,” he said.
