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• Get the latest updates on the war with Iran here.
Key developments
• Fragile truce: US President Donald Trump says he may not extend the ceasefire with Iran if negotiations fail. He also warned the US would secure Iran’s nuclear material “in a much more unfriendly form” if no deal is reached for its peaceful transfer. He earlier expressed confidence that both sides are close to a deal.
• New round of talks: US and Iranian delegations are set to hold negotiations Monday, Iranian sources told CNN. The US hasn’t confirmed talks are scheduled.
• Strait of Hormuz: Only a handful of ships passed through the waterway Friday, despite Iran’s foreign minister saying it was open to commercial vessels. The speaker of Iran’s parliament said the strait will close again if the US doesn’t lift its naval blockade.
• Russian oil sanctions: The US again temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil as the administration attempts to alleviate prices.
Trump says Chinese President Xi is "very happy" about Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump on Friday said Chinese President Xi Jinping is “very happy” about the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, as he expressed excitement ahead of his May talks with the Chinese leader.
“President Xi is very happy that the Strait of Hormuz is open and/or rapidly opening,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Our meeting in China will be a special one and, potentially, Historic. I look forward to being with President Xi — Much will be accomplished!”
Trump is expected to meet with Xi next month for talks in Beijing.
Trump insists no tolls will be charged through Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump on Friday insisted that “there are not going to be tolls,” through the Strait of Hormuz.
Asked by reporters aboard Air Force One if there will be able to impose restrictions or tolls for ships and vessels passing through the strait, Trump replied, “Nope, no way.”
“You can’t do the tolls. No, there are not going to be tolls,” Trump said.
Iran has been charging for access to the strait during the conflict, which the US president has sought to counter, threatening to “interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.”
Trump says US will secure Iran’s uranium “in a much more unfriendly form” if no deal is reached
President Donald Trump said Friday that the US would obtain Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium one way or another, warning it could come “in a much more unfriendly form” if negotiations fail.
Asked about the timeline for removing what he called nuclear dust from Iran, Trump declined to provide specifics.
“Obviously I am not going to give you the time, other than, if we sign the agreement, then I can give you a time, somewhere after we sign the agreement, we are going, with Iran, and we will take it together, and we will bring it back, 100% of it back to the United States,” Trump said.
“If we don’t do that, we will get it in a different form, in a much more unfriendly form,” Trump added. “But in any event,” he said, “we’ll get it done.”
The president has used “nuclear dust” to refer to Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, but it is not a known term in the nuclear energy industry.
More context: Recovering Iran’s remaining highly enriched uranium stockpile believed to be sitting in a storage facility deep underground would require a significant number of US ground troops beyond a small special operations footprint, seven current and former officials familiar with the military planning told CNN.
Trump says he may not extend Iran ceasefire if no deal is reached
President Donald Trump said he may not extend a tentative ceasefire between the United States and Iran if negotiations fail to produce an agreement by Wednesday, raising the prospect of renewed military action.
“Maybe I won’t extend it,” Trump said when asked aboard Air Force One whether he would prolong the ceasefire or resume strikes if talks fall short.
“Maybe I won’t extend it, so you have a blockade, and unfortunately we have to start dropping bombs again,” the president added.
The comments come as US and Iranian delegations are expected to arrive in Pakistan this weekend and potentially hold negotiations Monday, according to Iranian sources familiar with the talks. The United States has not confirmed whether those meetings are scheduled.
Trump expressed confidence earlier Friday that the parties are close to a deal.
21 ships have turned back to Iran since US blockade began, CENTCOM says
Twenty-one vessels have turned around and headed back to Iran since the US blockade of Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman began on April 13, US Central Command said Friday night.
“Since commencement of the blockade, 21 ships have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return to Iran,” CENTCOM said on X.
The update came after Iran said it reopened the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial vessels, although the Iranian parliament speaker said the waterway will close if the US doesn’t lift its naval blockade in the region.
Shipping companies have remained cautious about transiting the strait, with only a handful of ships passing through the key waterway on Friday.
US could pursue Iran-linked ships in Indo-Pacific, says top general
US forces will pursue Iran-linked ships in waters well outside the Middle East, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday, specifically mentioning the Indo-Pacific.
The Pacific region, especially anchorages in and around the Strait of Malacca, is home to some of the largest concentrations of the dark fleet tankers that move illegal or sanctioned oil from countries like Iran, according to Lloydslist.com.
“We are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR (area of responsibility) against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade,” Caine said.
Charlie Brown, senior advisor of dark fleet tracking at the nonprofit United Against Nuclear Iran and a former US Navy officer, told CNN Caine’s language and some US warship movement monitored on ship tracking platforms and satellite imagery suggest Washington may be considering operations similar to what it used against tankers linked to Venezuela during a quarantine of that country earlier this year.
“The US previously interdicted sanctioned tankers far from the immediate area of Venezuela, including in the Indian Ocean,” Brown said.
“That’s where I would expect similar activity: in international waters where the US has operational freedom of maneuver and fewer constraints,” he said.
CNN has reached out the 7th Fleet regarding the movements of the USS Miguel Keith, which satellite imagery showed was heading toward the Strait of Malacca as of Thursday local time.
The USS Miguel Keith, a massive vessel almost as big as a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, left Sasebo in Japan on April 8.
The ship briefly stopped in Singaporean waters on Friday before continuing through the Strait of Malacca in the evening.
It’s known as an expeditionary sea base, and among its missions are airborne mine countermeasures and special operations, according to a Marine Corps release.
In his statement Thursday, Caine noted the busy conditions near the Strait of Hormuz, calling it “incredibly congested” and praising US forces for executing the blockade operation in such conditions.
US again temporarily lifts sanctions on Russian oil stranded at sea
The Treasury Department on Friday issued another waiver allowing the delivery and sale of sanctioned seaborne Russian crude, as the administration tries to alleviate the prices amid the ongoing war with Iran.
The license, found on the US Treasury website, applies exclusively to Russian crude and petroleum products loaded on vessels as of April 17 and authorizes the shipments through May 16.
The administration previously issued a license on certain Russian crude, but the waiver expired on April 11. The new general license was issued two days after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters the administration would not renew the general license for Russian oil.
“As negotiations accelerate, Treasury wants to ensure oil is available to those who need it,” a spokesperson for the US Treasury Department said.
A source familiar claimed that “on the sidelines of Bank Fund and G-20, partner nations requested the U.S. extend the waiver due to ongoing pressures in Asia.”
Friday’s waiver comes as oil prices plunged today after the Iranian foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz would open to all commercial vessels during the ceasefire.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 9.07% to settle at $90.38 per barrel, its lowest level since March 10.
Iran will close Strait of Hormuz unless US blockade lifted, Iran's Parliament speaker says
Tehran will close the Strait of Hormuz unless the US lifts its blockade of Iranian ports, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament warned Friday – as he dismissed recent claims by US President Donald Trump as “false.”
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Trump had made “seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false.”
He did not specify which claims he was referring to but said of Washington, “They did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either.”
Earlier in the day, Trump said that the US blockade of Iranian ports would end once an “agreement is signed” and expressed confidence that a deal was close. He also told a rally in Arizona that a peace deal with Iran would involve the US taking control of the country’s nuclear material.
However, a senior Iranian official cast doubt on some of his claims about Tehran making concessions.
Ghalibaf’s remarks come after Iranian sources told CNN US and Iranian delegations were expected to hold negotiations in Pakistan on Monday, though Washington has not confirmed this.
Only a handful of ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday after Iran’s foreign minister said it would open to all commercial vessels.
This post has been updated the correct the date of Ghalibaf’s X post.
Iranian official says new talks with US set as Trump expresses optimism. Here's the latest
If you’re just dropping in to catch up on the latest news on the conflict in the Middle East, there have been some late developments on Friday.
An Iranian official told CNN that a fresh round of meetings between Iranian and American negotiators will take place Monday in Pakistan. US officials did not confirm that talks are scheduled, but US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that “a lot of good things are happening, and that includes Lebanon, too,” referencing the 10-day ceasefire that went into effect on Thursday.
Trump was in Phoenix, Arizona, to speak at a Turning Point USA event where he asserted that the process should go very quickly “now that most of the points are already negotiated and agreed to.”
Here’s the latest ahead of the weekend:
- Iran pushes back: In signaling a second round of talks, Trump said earlier Iran has “agreed to everything,” including working jointly to remove enriched uranium from the country and bringing it to the US. However, senior Iranian official told CNN that some of Trump’s assertions are “alternative facts.” The official rejected claims that Tehran would ship its stockpile of highly enriched uranium abroad or halt enrichment indefinitely, and warned that such public statements could complicate ongoing diplomacy.
- Warning on talks: The Iranian official, who is familiar with details of the ongoing Pakistan-led mediation process, also warned negotiations could fall through over Trump’s public boasting as Iran might conclude that “while Iran is committed to a result-oriented diplomatic process,” the US could be “using diplomacy to exhaust diplomacy and planning a new aggression, which Iran is ready to forcefully respond.”
- Oil drops and stocks soar: Amid a flurry of events that began with the US military naval blockade of Iran’s ports this week, the financial markets wrapped up a wild week. The S&P 500 hit its third straight record high and the Nasdaq Composite is on its longest winning streak since 1992. Oil prices also plunged after the Iranian foreign minister announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Doubts surrounding strait: As Iran said it reopened the pivotal waterway to all commercial vessels, the country’s state-backed media raised concerns, saying the announcement raised some ambiguity. Shipping companies, too, remain cautious about transiting the strait. Traffic remained at a trickle by Friday afternoon when a large passenger cruise ship took its chances to pass through the channel en route to Muscat, a city that lies on the Arabian Sea.
- Ceasefire in Lebanon: Meanwhile, in Lebanon, the first 24 hours of the 10-day truce have just lapsed, and it appears to be largely holding, despite Lebanon accusing Israel of several ceasefire violations.
CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo, Avery Schmitz, Frederik Pleitgen, Sophia Saifi, John Towfighi, Natasha Bertrand, Mitchell McCluskey, Sana Noor Haq, Donald Judd contributed reporting.
Trump again claims Iran agreement would involve US taking nuclear material
President Donald Trump on Friday said a peace deal with Iran would involve the US taking control of the country’s nuclear material, outlining major points of the potential agreement to a crowd at a rally in Arizona.
“We’re getting along well. But who knows? Who knows with anyone? But who knows with Iran in particular,” Trump told a crowd in Pheonix. “This process should go very quickly now that most of the points are already negotiated and agreed to. You’ll be very happy.”
Trump said the agreement would involve the United States taking control of nuclear material – a point Iranian officials have disputed.
“The USA will get all nuclear dust. You know what the nuclear dust is? That was that white powdery substance created by our B2 bombers … We were going to take it anyway,” he said, adding, “but taking it, taking it that way, is slightly more dangerous.”
Trump has used “nuclear dust” to refer to Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, but it is not a known term in the nuclear energy industry.
The president also said Iran “with the help of the USA” is removing “all of the sea mines.” He asserted that Tehran had agreed “most importantly” to “never have a nuclear weapon. They will never have a nuclear weapon.”
A senior Iranian official told CNN that some of Trump’s assertions are “alternative facts.” The official rejected claims that Tehran would ship its stockpile of highly enriched uranium abroad or halt enrichment indefinitely, and warned that such public statements could complicate ongoing diplomacy.
This post has been updated with additional information.
US aircraft carrier is now operating in the Red Sea, official says
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and two destroyers are now operating in the Red Sea after leaving the Eastern Mediterranean and transiting the Suez Canal, according to a US official.
The movements are part of a broader effort by the US military to maintain a ready stance to resume combat operations against Iran should the ceasefire not hold, the official said.
The Ford is being joined in the Red Sea by the USS Mahan and USS Winston S. Churchill.
The USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier is also enroute to the Middle East and could either join or replace the Ford in the region once it arrives. The USS Abraham Lincoln is also currently operating in the Middle East as well.
On Wednesday, Iran’s military threatened to shut down shipping operations in the Red Sea as well as the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman if the US continues its blockade of Iranian ports.
Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of Iran’s armed forces, described the blockade as “illegal” and said that if it continued it would be considered a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Abdollahi said Iran “would not allow any exports or imports to continue in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea under such conditions,” state-run Tasnim reported.
Iran does not border the Red Sea but holds influence in the area through regional allies, namely the Houthis in Yemen who have previously targeted vessels there.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains suppressed
Only a handful of ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz today, despite Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declaring it “completely open.” Today, ship tracking data shows that no oil tankers have exited the Persian Gulf and only five cargo ships and one tanker – built to transport heated asphalt or bitumen – have made it to the Gulf of Oman.
These few crossings are in addition to a single cruise ship that made a daring run through the strait earlier today.
Earlier in the afternoon, a loose group of nearly two dozen bulk carriers and oil tankers – including several very large crude oil carriers (VLCCs) – sailed toward the narrow waterway. But roughly four hours after departing, all appear to have turned back.
Some vessels in the area have been falsely broadcasting their locations in an apparent effort to alert authorities of their nationalities. Several VLCCs approaching the strait, for example, broadcasted messages like “INDIA CARGO” or “CHINESE OWNER & CREW.”
Iranian official says Trump’s claims of Iran conceding uranium are “alternative facts”
A senior Iranian official has called US President Donald Trump’s claims about alleged concessions Tehran is willing to make to Washington “alternative facts.”
The source, who is familiar with details of the ongoing Pakistan-led mediation process, spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity to openly discuss the details.
The official denied Trump’s claims that Iran had agreed to ship its stockpile of highly enriched Uranium to the US, calling the demand a “non-starter.”
The source also rejected the US leader’s assertion that Iran had agreed to indefinitely halt enrichment of uranium, saying that Iran “will never accept” being an “exception from international law.” The source added that the enrichment question was one of the main remaining sticking points between the two sides.
The source warned that Trump’s public boasting could derail the ongoing negotiations process, adding that Iran might come to the conclusion that “while Iran is committed to a result-oriented diplomatic process,” the US could be “using diplomacy to exhaust diplomacy and planning a new aggression, which Iran is ready to forcefully respond.”
Trump again voices optimism on Iran talks, says blockade will end when deal is signed
President Donald Trump expressed optimism about ongoing negotiations with Iran during his first on-camera remarks Friday, telling reporters that discussions would continue through the weekend.
“We’ve had some very good discussions … and we’ve done a good job, but we’ll see. Talks are going on, and we’ll go on over the weekend,” Trump said after landing in Phoenix ahead of remarks at a Turning Point USA event.
“A lot of good things are happening, and that includes Lebanon, too,” he added.
Asked about Iranian officials saying significant differences remain, Trump downplayed the gaps. “I don’t think there’s too many significant differences,” he said.
On the future of the US blockade of Iranian ports, Trump said it would end once an “agreement is signed.”
Trump says Iran has “agreed to everything” and outlines potential deal to retrieve uranium
President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has “agreed to everything” in talks with the United States, including working jointly to remove enriched uranium from the country and bringing it to the US.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran has “agreed to everything” in talks with the US, including working together to remove enriched uranium from Iran and bringing it back to the United States. CNN’s Kristen Holmes reports.
Iranian officials, however, said there are no plans for them to forfeit their stockpile of enriched uranium.
“No. No troops,” Trump said in a phone interview with CBS, when asked if the effort would require US troops on the ground. He added that “we’ll go down and get it with them, and then we’ll take it. We’ll be getting it together because by that time, we’ll have an agreement and there’s no need for fighting when there’s an agreement. Nice right? That’s better.
“We would have done it the other way if we had to,” he said.
The president said the material would ultimately be transported to the United States.
When asked about timing, Trump said the two sides are expected to meet this weekend and that the US would continue its blockade of Iranian ports “until we get it done.”
Iran denied that it agreed to a deal that would involve the transfer its enriched uranium stockpile.
“Iran’s enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere; transferring uranium to the United States has not been an option,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
“Iran’s enriched uranium is sacred to us like the soil of Iran,” Baghaei said.
He added that there is “no ambiguity regarding any part of the negotiations; we have clearly stated our positions.”
Trump also told CBS that Iran had agreed to stop backing terrorist groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas.
The president on Friday repeatedly expressed confidence that a deal will be reached “in the next day or two” and that peace talks will “likely” be held this weekend.
Next round of US-Iran talks to take place in Pakistan on Monday, Iranian sources say
A fresh round of meetings between Iranian and American negotiators is expected to take place in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday, say Iranian officials with knowledge of the talks. They also said they expected negotiators to arrive in Islamabad on Sunday.
Iran’s new supreme leader has yet to make a public appearance. Learn more
It’s been nearly six weeks since Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed but he is yet to make a public appearance.
CNN’s Isobel Yeung reports on the growing curiosity about his health and whereabouts.
Nearly six weeks after his appointment as Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to make a public appearance. CNN's Isobel Yeung reports on the growing curiosity about his health and whereabouts.
It's been a wild week as markets reflect optimism about ceasefires in the Middle East
As the Trump administration eyes a second round of peace talks with Iran this weekend, the markets have had a wild week.
The S&P 500 just hit its third-straight record high and the Nasdaq Composite is on its longest winning streak since 1992. The stock market’s exuberance is rooted in optimism about ceasefires in the Middle East and hope that oil might resume flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Here’s a look at where things stand today:
- Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 9.07% to settle at $90.38 per barrel, its lowest level since March 10.
- The Dow soared 869 points, or 1.79%, recouping all of its losses since the war with Iran began.
- The S&P 500 closed above 7,100 points for the first time ever Friday after closing above 7,000 for the first time on Wednesday — its best week since May.
- CNN’s Fear and Greed Index, a proxy for market sentiment, tumbled into “extreme fear” in March before rebounding sharply and trading in “greed” on Friday.
Pakistan pushes for definitive resolution to ceasefires, but thorniest points lay bare
Top officials from Islamabad ground through the third day of heavy lift diplomacy in Tehran Friday to bridge the US Iran war – but key sticking points remain.
Pakistani mediators are trying to take gains from Thursday that helped secure a ceasefire in Lebanon — a central demand from Tehran – and parlay that into an Iranian concession the United States wants.
Those efforts appeared to make progress earlier today, when Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping as long as a delicate truce in Lebanon holds.
Iran, one the one hand, is using the vital waterway as a pressure point to ensure the ceasefire in Lebanon lasts, and on the other edge towards a lasting ceasefire with the United States.
The move suddenly hinted at potential momentum in the painfully labored talks process, with sources close to the talks seemingly buoyed. But soon after US President Donald Trump took to ‘Truth Social’ announcing the United States would keep its own blockade on the strait, souring the mood in Tehran.
Iranian state media said their foreign minister had misspoken, insisting that only civilian vessels authorized by the IRGC were allowed to pass through shipping lanes designated by Tehran. IRGC officials added that the US blockade was itself a violation of the ceasefire, threatening to revoke their opening.
Iran’s stuttering compromises also highlight internal tensions between the country’s hardliners and politicians that could easily undermine future progress.
The thorniest of issues are still outstanding, and that is the United States’ need to have Iran declaratively say that it is not going to have a nuclear weapon.
Trump claimed Tehran has agreed to hand over its “nuclear dust,” referring to the enriched uranium stockpile that the US fears may be used to build nuclear weapons. The precise details of how that is done and who gets the dust will be contentious.
Tehran also has more demands, not least, the lifting of economic sanctions, the unfreezing of assets and payment of war reparations for damage which could come to many billions of dollars.
