Here's the latest
• Ships seized: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says two ships were seized in the Strait of Hormuz and transferred to Iranian waters. A third vessel was also reportedly targeted by the IRGC and is “now disabled off Iran’s coast,” according to Iranian media. It came after a maritime agency said at least two container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Ceasefire extended: The incidents came after US President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran and vowed to continue the US blockade on Iranian ports. He plans to give Tehran a limited timeframe to come up with a unified proposal to get peace talks back on track, sources have told CNN.
• In Lebanon: Meanwhile, Lebanon wants to prolong the ceasefire with Israel by at least another month, a source told CNN. The Israeli military said it intercepted a Hezbollah drone in southern Lebanon one day before a second round of direct talks between the two countries.
Seized ships and a fragile ceasefire: Here's the latest from the Middle East today
Iran says it has seized two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz today, as the UK Maritime Traffic Organization said earlier that two container ships were hit by gunfire in the waterway.
If you’re just joining us, catch up on the latest developments from the Middle East below:
- The two vessels reportedly seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Strait of Hormuz currently appear to be stationary just off the Iranian coast, according to ship tracking data.
- Meanwhile, a Greek-linked cargo ship was also attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, but it remains unclear whether it has been seized by Iran, Greece’s foreign minister said.
- The Israeli military said it intercepted a Hezbollah drone, one day before a second round of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel.
- Lebanese negotiators want to prolong the fragile ceasefire with Israel by at least another month as part of efforts to end the conflict with Hezbollah, according to a political source with knowledge of the matter.
- A second French soldier serving as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon has died as a result of a Hezbollah attack last week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced.
- US President Donald Trump plans to give Iran a limited timeframe to come up with a proposal to get diplomatic negotiations back on track, two sources familiar with the internal discussions told CNN.
- The internet blackout in Iran has now entered its 54th day, according to the internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
- Germany’s Lufthansa Group is canceling 20,000 short-haul flights through October as it deals with soaring jet fuel costs and the possibility of shortages in Europe due to the war with Iran.
CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim, Billy Stockwell, Mustafa Qadri, Dana Karni, Charbel Mallo, Oren Liebermann, Sarah Tamimi, Sana Noor Haq, Joseph Ataman, Lauren Kent, Alayna Treene, Aida Karimi and Chris Isidore contributed to this reporting.
French soldier dies from injuries following Hezbollah attack in Lebanon, Macron says
A second French soldier serving as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has died as a result of an attack by Hezbollah fighters last week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday.
The wounded soldier, Corporal Anicet Girardin, was repatriated to France on Tuesday and died on Wednesday from his injuries.
Another French solider, Warrant Officer Florian Montorio, was also fatally wounded in the same attack on Saturday, the French government said.
Hezbollah has denied the allegations. In a statement, it called for “caution in assigning blame and responsibility over the incident pending the Lebanese army’s investigation to fully determine the circumstances.”
UNIFIL said in a previous statement that its patrol was clearing explosive ordnance along a road in the village of Ghanduriyah in southern Lebanon when it “came under small-arms fire from non-state actors.”
The attack comes amid a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon announced by US President Donald Trump last Thursday after Israel and Lebanon held their first direct talks in decades earlier last week in Washington, DC.
CNN’s Ivana Kottasová, Ibrahim Dahman, Eugenia Yosef and Eyad Kourdi contributed to this report.
Trump’s claims that Iranian leadership is fractured "a serious misreading," expert says
US President Donald Trump’s claims that Tehran’s government is fractured is a misreading of “the Iranian leadership position and predicament, ” according to an expert in Iranian politics.
Mehran Kamrava, professor at Georgetown University Qatar, told CNN’s Connect the World with Becky Anderson earlier today that he believes the regime remains close-knit, even as there has been no confirmed sighting of new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, six weeks after he was announced.
Some context: Trump’s top aides believe there are fractures within the Iranian leadership, and that the Iranians do not have consensus on their position to empower negotiators to finalize a deal, CNN previously reported.
Greek-owned ship attacked by Iran, seizure unconfirmed, foreign minister says
A Greek-linked cargo ship was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, but it remains unclear whether it has been seized by Iran, Greece’s foreign minister said.
Speaking to CNN’s Becky Anderson on “Connect the World” earlier today, Giorgos Gerapetritis said: “I can confirm that there was an attack against the Greek cargo ship, but I cannot confirm that this has been seized by the Iranians.”
He described the situation as “quite disturbing” and urged all Greek-owned vessels to avoid passing through the key waterway.
For context: The vessel was one of three targeted by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian media. Two others were seized and transferred to Iranian waters, the IRGC said.
Israeli military intercepts Hezbollah drone as Lebanon truce tested before further talks
The Israeli military said it intercepted a Hezbollah drone as the fragile ceasefire with Lebanon was further tested one day before a second round of direct talks between the two countries.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the “hostile aircraft” was flying toward Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. It was intercepted before it crossed into Israeli territory. The IDF said it viewed the incident as a “blatant violation of the ceasefire.”
Hezbollah said the target was what they called a new artillery encampment in the town of Bayyada in territory occupied by Israeli forces and accused Israel of repeatedly violating the temporary ceasefire agreement.
“Permission (to fight) has been given to those who are being fought,” Hezbollah said in a statement on Wednesday. It is the second consecutive day in which Hezbollah has launched projectiles at Israeli forces. On Tuesday, the IDF said Hezbollah had launched both drones and rockets.
Israeli forces have fired on individuals who approach troops stationed along what it calls its “forward defense line” in southern Lebanon. It is not clear how many people have been killed, but the IDF reports multiple incidents daily.
The latest drone fire comes one day before the second round of direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors in the US. President Donald Trump is pushing for a broader ceasefire agreement and potentially a peace deal between the two nations that have not engaged in direct negotiations in decades.
Trump plans to give Iranians limited timeframe to present unified proposal, sources say
President Donald Trump plans to give the Iranians a limited timeframe to come up with a unified proposal to get diplomatic negotiations back on track, two sources familiar with the internal discussions told CNN.
It was not immediately clear if Trump’s message had made it to the Iranians.
The administration does not want to indefinitely extend the ceasefire, the sources said, and does not want to give Iran time to drag out talks further.
The president was wary of extending the initial ceasefire beyond the Wednesday deadline, the sources said. He wants a deal finalized as soon as possible, and had hoped the pressure of a deadline would force the Iranians to the table before the ceasefire expired.
However, Trump’s top aides believe there are fractures within the Iranian leadership, and that the Iranians do not have consensus on their position to empower negotiators to finalize a deal, CNN previously reported.
Trump’s decision to give Tehran more time to present a “unified proposal,” as he characterized it, reflects the administration’s desire to settle the war diplomatically, as well as its reticence to resume kinetic strikes, the sources said.
In the meantime, the president believes the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will keep pressure on the Iranians while negotiations play out. But there is also acknowledgement among Trump’s team that the longer the blockade persists, the more damage to the world economy, the sources said.
Tracking data shows latest movements of vessels reportedly seized by Iran
Two vessels reportedly seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday currently appear to be stationary just off the Iranian coast, according to ship tracking data.
Iranian semi-official outlet Tasnim named the two vessels as MSC Francesca and Epaminodas, both of which the IRGC has accused of “operating without proper authorization, repeatedly violating regulations, and manipulating navigation systems.” MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world’s largest container shipping company.
CNN has reached out to MSC for comment on Iran’s claims.
Data from MarineTraffic, a maritime intelligence provider, shows both vessels in the same part of the vital waterway. Epaminodas, a Liberia-flagged container ship, was heading toward India, while MSC Francesca, a Panama-flagged container ship, was en route to Sri Lanka, according to MarineTraffic.
Iranian media also said a third vessel, named Euphoria, was targeted by the IRGC and is “now disabled off Iran’s coast.” Tracking data currently shows Euphoria moving toward the coast of the UAE.
CNN cannot independently verify the journeys as shipping data can sometimes show irregularities due to signal gaps and spoofing – the transmission of false signals to mislead tracking systems.
CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim contributed reporting.
Lebanon will push for one-month truce extension with Israel
Lebanese negotiators want to prolong a fragile ceasefire with Israel by at least another month as part of efforts to end the conflict with Hezbollah, according to a political source with knowledge of the matter.
“Lebanon will demand an extension for a ceasefire by one month or more,” the source told CNN on Wednesday.
The White House is scheduled to host a second round of talks between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh, respectively, on Thursday.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun called for “a complete halt to the Israeli aggressions.” Negotiators are focused on “achieving the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories” and “the start of reconstruction” in Lebanon, Aoun posted on X.
Aoun thanked his US counterpart, President Donald Trump, for “an opportunity that we must not waste.” On Friday, Trump said he’d “prohibited” Israel from carrying out fresh strikes, warning “Enough is enough!!!” in a social media post.
The Israeli offensive in Lebanon came after the Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched projectiles into Israel and has killed at least 2,294 people there, Lebanese health officials said.
In the south, the Israeli military has occupied a belt of border villages and told residents “not to cross and return to” their homes below the Litani River, which bisects Lebanon.
UN experts have condemned Israel’s actions, saying “the deliberate destruction of homes is a weapon of war and a form of collective punishment.”
United says it will raise summer fares as much as 20%
The Iran war is sending jet fuel prices through the roof, but travelers have proven resilient. They’re willing to pay more to fly – so airlines are passing more costs onto customers.
Strong demand for bookings this summer has allowed United to raise fares 15% to 20% during the busy travel season, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said Wednesday.
In comments on CNBC Wednesday, he blamed part of the increase on the doubling of jet fuel costs since before the war in Iran. Fuel is the second largest cost for airlines behind only labor.
Despite higher costs, United reported higher profit last quarter than it earned a year earlier.
Kirby said in the first quarter United was able to recapture 40% to 50% of the increased fuel costs. He expects to be able to raise fares enough to capture all those costs later this year, thanks to strong demand for its tickets.
“At some point that will drive less demand,” he said. “We frankly haven’t seen it in our booking yet. Bookings are really strong.”
Here's what has taken place in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has seized two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and transferred them to Iranian waters.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what’s happened in the strait so far today:
- At least two container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz today, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
- The first was approached by a gunboat belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which gave no radio warning before it “fired upon the vessel,” the maritime authority said.
- The IRGC said that two vessels were seized in the Strait of Hormuz and transferred to Iranian waters for “allegedly operating without proper authorization, repeatedly violating regulations, and manipulating navigation systems,” Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reported.
- Iranian media said that a third vessel, a Greek-owned ship, was also reportedly targeted by the IRGC and is “now disabled off Iran’s coast.”
CNN’s Jessie Yeung contributed to this reporting.
Lufthansa Group is cutting 20,000 flights through October due to surge in fuel costs
Germany’s Lufthansa Group is canceling 20,000 short-haul flights through October as it deals with soaring jet fuel costs and the possibility of shortages in Europe due to the war with Iran.
The first 120 daily flights were canceled Monday, effective through the end of May, the company said yesterday. The group – which, in addition to Lufthansa Airlines, includes SWISS, Austrian Airlines and other carriers – noted that the canceled flights should save approximately 40,000 metric tons of fuel.
Airlines around the globe are trimming their schedules of flights that were profitable with lower fuel costs but which are now unprofitable as the average jet fuel price has roughly doubled since the start of the war.
Europe, which imports around 70% of its jet fuel supply, may face jet fuel shortages and even rationing in coming weeks. Most of the imports came from the Middle East before the war shut the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran enters 54th day of internet blackout, monitoring group says
The internet blackout in Iran has now entered its 54th day, according to the internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
The Iranian regime has almost completely blocked the country’s access to the internet since the US and Israel first attacked Iran on February 28.
Before that, a separate internet blackout took place during weeks of anti-regime protests in the country at the start of this year.
Earlier this month, NetBlocks called the current blackout the “longest nation-scale internet shutdown on record in any country.”
Elias Hazrati, the head of Iran’s Government Information Council, said yesterday that internet access will only be restored after the war ends, the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they seized two ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that two vessels were seized in the Strait of Hormuz and transferred to Iranian waters.
“The ships were allegedly operating without proper authorization, repeatedly violating regulations, and manipulating navigation systems, thereby endangering maritime safety while attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz covertly,” the IRGC said in a statement carried on Iran’s state-run television (IRIB), adding that the vessels were intercepted and were “stopped in line with what was described as protecting Iran’s national rights.”
Iranian media said that a third vessel, a Greek-owned ship, was also reportedly targeted by the IRGC and is “now disabled off Iran’s coast.”
There has been no independent confirmation of the seizures, but the UK Maritime Traffic Organization (UKMTO) earlier said two container ships had been fired on.
Iranian ambassador meets Pakistani prime minister, after US agrees to truce extension
The Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam convened with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Wednesday, hours after the White House agreed to prolong a fragile truce with Tehran.
Moghadam called on Sharif “to discuss the ongoing regional situation and peace efforts,” according to a readout from the Pakistani prime minister’s office on Wednesday.
Late on Tuesday, Sharif thanked US President Donald Trump for “graciously accepting” the request, adding that Islamabad would “continue its earnest efforts for negotiated settlement of conflict.”
Islamabad has emerged as a mediator between the US and Iran after the US-Israeli attack triggered regional violence – ferrying messages and hosting talks to try and encourage dialogue between the warring parties.
Trump agreed to delay an attack on Iran “upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan” and until Tehran “can come up with a unified proposal” in a social media post on Tuesday.
The status of a second round of talks is unclear. Iran has not confirmed whether it will participate in peace talks with the US this week, Pakistani officials said. And Vice President JD Vance’s expected trip to Islamabad to lead peace talks with Iran was called off for the day, according to a White House official.
When asked about another round of negotiations with the US, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said “Diplomacy is a tool to ensure national interests and security.”
Tehran “will take action” when “the necessary and logical grounds are available to use this tool to realize national interests and consolidate the achievements of the Iranian nation,” the spokesperson said on Wednesday.
A look at what has happened between the US and Iran in the last 24 hours
President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire between the US and Iran just hours before it was set to expire. He said the truce will continue until Iran submits a “unified proposal” to end the conflict permanently.
A potential second round of talks between Tehran and Washington was also supposed to take place this week, though Iran did not commit to traveling to Pakistan for the negotiations, and the US eventually called them off too.
If you’re just joining us, here’s how things have developed over the last day:
- US President Donald Trump said yesterday that he expected to continue bombing Iran if a ceasefire wasn’t reached by this evening, also saying that he did not want to extend the ceasefire deadline.
- US Vice President JD Vance was expected to depart for the talks in Islamabad yesterday morning, but in the afternoon, sources told CNN it was unclear whether he would still be traveling there.
- Iranian lawmaker Ahmad Naderi said around the same time that no Iranian negotiating team had traveled to Pakistan, and that Tehran “will not negotiate until the issue of the naval blockade is resolved.”
- Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also said that Tehran’s hesitation over participating in the talks was not due to indecision, but what he described as conflicting US signals and actions.
- Yesterday evening, a White House official told CNN that Vance’s trip was called off for the day.
- After Trump extended the ceasefire, an adviser to Iran’s parliament speaker said the extension “means nothing,” calling it a “ploy to buy time for a surprise strike.”
- Iran’s United Nations envoy said that he believes negotiations will be held once the US ends its blockade of Iranian ports. Officials familiar with the matter also said that the blockade has contributed to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the talks.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Betsy Klein, Kit Maher, Alayna Treene, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Alejandra Jaramillo, Jonny Hallam and Helen Regan contributed to this reporting.
UK inflation jumps in March on fuel price surge
UK inflation rose in March for the first time since December, as higher global oil prices sent fuel prices soaring.
Consumer prices rose 3.3% last month compared with a year ago, up from 3% in February, the Office for National Statistics said today.
Fuel prices saw their largest increase for more than three years, rising by 4.9%, compared with a fall in February, the ONS said. Food prices and air fares also rose at a faster clip. Producers’ input prices, which include energy and raw material costs, also rose strongly, driven largely by higher oil prices.
Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, remained broadly unchanged.
Economists warned that price pressures could spread. “This is just the first wave of the energy shock, primarily showing up in higher prices at the pump,” said PwC UK economist Adam Deasy. “We are yet to see the knock-on impact of price pressures in… byproducts to oil and gas, such as fertilizer, helium, plastics or metals,” he added in a note.
Meanwhile, UK fuel retailers say surging gasoline prices are leading to an increase in fuel theft. “The increase in pump prices has been matched by a rise in motorists driving off without paying or claiming they have no means to pay,” Gordon Balmer, executive director at the Petrol Retailers Association, said in a statement today.
Data from Forecourt Eye, which helps fuel retailers recover payments due, showed that some incidents involved first-time offenders, reflecting “wider financial pressure” on households, the PRA said.
Global oil hovers near $100 a barrel after attacks on ships near Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices are rising today, following reports of Iranian attacks on container ships near the Strait of Hormuz just hours after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran to allow more time for peace talks.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, is up around 0.8% to $99.2 a barrel, having briefly touched $100 earlier in the day. WTI, the US benchmark, is up by a similar margin to $90.3 a barrel.
Two container ships were fired upon in waters near the Strait of Hormuz today, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said. The UKMTO attributed one of the attacks to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and said the crews of both vessels were safe.
Before reports of the attacks, analysts said Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire had improved sentiment among traders, even though a US blockade on Iranian ports remained in place.
“It is in the interest of both parties to come to a deal,” Mohit Kumar, chief European economist at investment bank Jefferies, wrote in a note. But that won’t take oil prices back to pre-war levels, he added, saying that oil prices would likely settle around $75-80 a barrel over the next three to six months.
Stock markets, meanwhile, are mixed today. In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei and China’s Shanghai Composite indexes closed modestly higher, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng finished 1.2% lower. Markets in Europe are broadly flat, and US futures point to a slightly stronger open.
“Markets will be balancing the positive news of a continued ceasefire with the other news flow – peace talks are not progressing and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed,” Emma Wall, chief investment strategist at Hargreaves Lansdown, wrote in a note.
Iran executes four people this week, alleging espionage for Israel, state media says
Iran has executed four people this week, claiming that the men were linked to Israeli intelligence services, according to the Iranian state-backed media outlet, Mizan News Agency.
Iran executed Mehdi Farid on Tuesday, after authorities claimed he provided sensitive national information to Mossad. Earlier this week, three other men that the regime described as spies for Mossad were also executed: Amirali Mirjafari, Hamed Validi and Mohammad Masoum Shahi.
Iran has a long history of alleging espionage for Israel to apply the death penalty. The country has also carried out executions this year of political prisoners, as well as dissidents who took part in the widespread anti-regime protests in January.
Last year, Iran carried out its highest number of executions in more than three decades, according to a joint report released earlier this month by Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (EPCM) and by the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR). At least 1,639 people were executed in 2025, the report found, marking the highest annual total since 1989. Due to a lack of transparency within the judicial system, the true number could be much higher, the report said.
CNN’s Jonny Hallam contributed to this report.
At least two vessels attacked in Strait of Hormuz, maritime agency says
At least two container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
UKMTO said it first received a report of an incident 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The vessel reported that it was approached by an Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gun boat “and then fired upon,” causing heavy damage to the vessel’s bridge. All crew were reported safe.
A second incident was reported 8 nautical miles west of Iran, where a master of an outbound cargo ship reported having been fired upon and “is now stopped in the water.” The crew are safe and there is no damage to the vessel, UKMTO says.
“UKMTO is aware of high levels of activity in the SoH area and encourages vessels to report any suspicious activity,” the maritime agency said.
The IRGC navy said seized two “violating vessels” and transferred them to the Iranian coast, according to the semi-official state news agency Tasnim. One vessel was allegedly linked to Israel, and the other had allegedly lacked proper authorization and had manipulated its navigation system, Tasnim said.
The IRGC has previously said it would shut off the strait until the US blockade was lifted.
Tanker intercepted by US conducted transfer off Malaysia coast last year, image appears to show
The sanctioned Iran-linked oil tanker intercepted by US forces in the Indian Ocean this week conducted a ship-to-ship transfer off the coast of Malaysia last August, satellite imagery obtained by CNN appears to show.
The MT Tifani, which can carry 2 million barrels of crude oil, was stopped on Tuesday between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, more than 2,000 miles from the Persian Gulf, as part of the US military’s operation to “disrupt illicit networks” supporting Iran “anywhere they operate.”
In a satellite image, the MT Tifani (IMO 9273337) can be seen directly alongside another tanker named the Macho Queen in August 2025. CNN matched the vessels in the satellite imagery by comparing their length and visual characteristics.
The location where the image was taken also corresponded with where the MT Tifani pinged in August 2025 before temporarily turning off its mandatory real-time ship tracking system.
Switching off the tracking devices is a common tactic observed among vessels transporting sanctioned Iranian crude, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler.
