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• Get the latest updates on the war with Iran here.
Key developments
• Hectic diplomacy: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has landed in Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss the status of negotiations, according to state media, after visiting with key mediators in Pakistan and Oman this weekend. Araghchi said earlier that it’s not clear if Washington is “truly serious about diplomacy” after US President Donald Trump scrapped plans for his envoys to visit Pakistan.
• Peace talks stalled: Trump said talks will continue by phone after Iran declined to meet directly with American negotiators amid ongoing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz. “If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us,” Trump said Sunday and reiterated that the war would “come to an end very soon.”
• In Lebanon: The fragile ceasefire is under growing pressure as Israel and Hezbollah have increased attacks on each other despite a US-brokered extension to the ceasefire that was supposed to halt fighting for three more weeks.
Iranian FM arrives in Russia for Putin meeting
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia, ahead of a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday, Araghchi said on his official Telegram account.
Araghchi said he will also meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Video shows Iranian military parading Shahed drones in city square
A video posted by Iranian state media Fars shows the military parading Shahed 136 drones in the city of Tabriz’s Saat Square.
Shahed drones, sometimes called “suicide drones” or “kamikaze drones” are Iranian-designed unmanned aerial vehicles which fly toward specified targets and explode on impact, according to the Open Source Munitions Portal.
Nightly pro-government rallies have been reported in Tehran and other Iranian cities after the war began. Last week, an apparent ballistic missile was paraded at one of the rallies.
Iran foreign minister and Putin to focus on "advancing joint programs," ambassador says
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin will focus on “coordinating interactions and advancing joint programs at the regional and international levels,” Tehran’s ambassador to Mocow, Kazem Jalali, said in a post on X Sunday.
Araghchi is set to meet Putin Monday during an overseas tour, which also included meetings with key mediators in Pakistan and Oman Sunday, amid stalled talks with the US.
Russia has remained a critical diplomatic ally for Iran throughout the war with the US. It has offered to take custody of Iran’s enriched uranium, proposing to store or reprocess it on Russian soil.
Iran and Russia present “a united front in the campaign of the world’s totalitarian forces against independent and justice-seeking countries, as well as countries that seek a world free from unilateralism and Western domination,” Jalali added.
US says 38 ships turned around by its blockade of Iranian ports
The two-week-old US blockade has prevented 38 ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports, US Central Command said on social media early Monday.
“American forces have directed 38 ships to turn around, or return to port,” the post said.
Central Command did not give locations of where ships were stopped and turned back.
Last week US forces boarded tankers linked to Iran’s shadow fleet far out into the Indian Ocean, making good on a pledge to track Iran-linked vessels anywhere in the world.
Iran steps up regional diplomacy as Hormuz stays choked and US talks stall: Catch up on the latest
Iran has intensified its diplomatic efforts as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, with Washington-Tehran talks aimed at ending the war now stalled. In the US, President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his decision to cancel his envoys’ planned trip to Pakistan, saying Iranian authorities “can call” if they want to talk — and reiterating his claim that the war could “come to an end very soon,” adding the US is “going to be very victorious.”
What we know now:
- Araghchi leaves Pakistan: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left Islamabad, and his departure marks the end of two visits to Pakistan in 48 hours, as hopes for further face-to-face US-Iranian talks dissipated. Earlier in the day, Araghchi made a short stop in Muscat, Oman, before returning to Islamabad for another meeting.
- Next stop Russia: After visits involving mediators in Pakistan and Oman, Araghchi is heading to Russia, underscoring Moscow’s role as a major diplomatic backer of Tehran during the conflict.
- Shipping through Hormuz remains near-standstill: Vessel traffic is still severely reduced compared to pre-war levels, according to MarineTraffic data, with only a handful of crossings reported Sunday. (CNN notes shipping data can be affected by signal gaps and spoofing.)
- Trump-Starmer call focuses on reopening sea lanes: Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed the “urgent need” to get shipping moving again through Hormuz, Downing Street said, as thousands of seafarers remain trapped and oil prices have surged. Starmer warned of major global economic and cost-of-living impacts.
- Trump’s blockade claim disputed by experts: Trump also claimed Iran’s oil lines could “explode” within three days because exports are blocked; experts told CNN this is overstated, saying producers typically cut output as storage fills rather than face inevitable explosions.
- Tehran doubles down on Hormuz pressure: Iran’s Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad warned the Strait of Hormuz will “under no circumstances” return to its previous state, Mehr reported, citing an order from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Nikzad said the war showed that choking Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab could affect “25% of the world’s economy.”
- Israel-Lebanon fragile ceasefire: The Israeli military ordered evacuations for seven villages in southern Lebanon on Sunday, saying Hezbollah ceasefire violations require action against “terror infrastructure.” The fragile ceasefire in Lebanon is under growing pressure as Israel and Hezbollah have increased attacks on each other. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that since March 2, at least 2,509 people have been killed and 7,755 wounded.
Israeli military says it will examine allegations of looting in southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that it will “examine” allegations of looting by soldiers in southern Lebanon, after a report in the newspaper Haaretz quoted anonymous soldiers who said that theft from Lebanese civilian homes and businesses is widespread.
The statement added that when provided sufficient evidence, “disciplinary and criminal measures are taken, including prosecution,” and that the Military Police Corps “conducts inspections at the northern border crossing during exit from the combat zone.”
The looting report in Haaretz follows several other misconduct complaints against Israeli soldiers in Lebanon. The military said yesterday that it is investigating a video that appears to show earth-moving equipment damaging solar panels and a vehicle outside the southern Lebanese village of Debel.
Debel is the same village where an Israeli soldier was photographed vandalizing a statue of Jesus Christ earlier this month, causing international outrage. The town is currently occupied by Israeli troops, who residents say restrict most travel in and out of the community.
The IDF and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later apologized for the statue’s desecration, jailing two of the soldiers involved for 30 days and removing them from combat duty.
Trump's claim that Iran's oil lines will explode within 3 days are overstated, experts say
President Donald Trump claimed that the US naval blockade of Iranian ports has prevented Iran from effectively distributing its oil and will result in explosions within three days because of mechanical and geological issues.
“When you have, you know, lines of vast amounts of oil pouring through your system, if for any reason that line is closed because you can’t continue to put it into containers or ships — which has happened to them; they have no ships because of the blockade — what happens is that line explodes from within, both mechanically and in the earth,” Trump said in a phone interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing.”
“It’s something that happens where it just explodes,” Trump added. “And they say they only have about three days left before that happens. And when it explodes, you can never … rebuild it the way it was.”
Experts told CNN that Trump is vastly overstating what happens when an oil-producing state can no longer export. Iran’s oil facilities are unlikely to explode, since many have been shut down, the experts explained.
“When tankers are no longer available to load oil production, the onshore inventories begin to fill up. As onshore facilities fill up, one begins to cut production. That has already happened in Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE. There have been no explosions in this regard, as yet,” Andy Lipow, of Lipow Oil Associates, told CNN over email.
But shutting wells could result in decreased oil production in the future once facilities are reopened, he noted.
Ultimately, “the oil will not explode,” Lipow said.
Iranian foreign minister has left Pakistan for Russia, state media reports
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left Islamabad and is en route to Russia, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
Araghchi will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday and “consult with Russian officials on the latest status of the negotiations, the ceasefire and surrounding developments,” the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency reported earlier, citing Iran’s ambassador to Moscow.
The foreign minister’s departure marks the end of two visits to Pakistan in 48 hours, as hopes for further face-to-face US-Iranian talks dissipated.
Soon after IRIB published its report, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam thanked Pakistani leadership for “their tireless efforts” to end the war.
This post has been updated with additional details.
Israeli soldier killed in southern Lebanon, military says, bringing toll to 16
An Israeli soldier was killed in southern Lebanon on Sunday, according to the Israeli military. It marks the 16th soldier killed in southern Lebanon since the war with Iran began eight weeks ago.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified the soldier as Sgt. Idan Fooks, 19.
The IDF said four other soldiers were severely wounded in the incident.
Earlier Sunday, Hezbollah announced it had launched on attack on Israeli forces in the town of Taybeh with a loitering glider and “achieved a confirmed hit.”
Israel sent Iron Dome air defense system to UAE during Iran war, source says
Israel secretly deployed an Iron Dome air defense system and dozens of soldiers to the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran, an Israeli source familiar with the matter told CNN on Sunday. The move marks a new level of unprecedented military cooperation between the two countries, who signed a normalization agreement under the Abraham Accords in 2020.
The Israeli source confirmed a report by Axios that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israel Defense Forces to send an Iron Dome battery to the UAE, along with interceptor crews, following a call with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
The UAE was targeted by Iran more than any other country in the region – even more than Israel – as it was attacked with more than 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones, according to the Emirati Ministry of Defense. The UAE claimed an interception rate of more than 90%, while a fraction did strike military and civilian targets.
Iron Dome is an Israeli-developed mobile, short‑range air‑defense system that intercepts rockets, mortars, artillery shells and drones. Israel has previously concluded several arms deals to sell the system abroad, but this appears to be the first time it has been deployed to another country and used operationally. The system intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles during the war, Axios reported citing an Israeli official.
For context: Cooperation between Israel and the UAE has steadily deepened since the Abraham Accords were signed under the first Trump administration in 2020. The two countries have developed a close military and intelligence partnership, which has been on display during the Iran war, the Israeli source told CNN.
Meanwhile: Trump reiterates his assessment that Iran war could end "soon"
US President Donald Trump elaborated Sunday morning on his decision to cancel his envoys’ planned trip to Pakistan, also saying that Iranian authorities “can call” if they want to talk.
The US delegation was set to be led by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. CNN previously reported that Vice President JD Vance would have been on standby to travel to Islamabad in the event that the talks progressed.
That the US delegation was at least 17 hours away by plane, however, is something that would have posed a logistical hurdle, as the US negotiators would have been unlikely to land in Islamabad prior to the departure of the Iranian delegation – something Trump acknowledged during the interview with Fox.
Araghchi calls Arab and European counterparts in diplomatic push
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi churned through phone calls with counterparts in Egypt, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey this weekend – after regional hopes of further US-Iran talks dissipated.
The Iranian foreign minister made a short stop in Muscat on Sunday, before returning to Islamabad for another meeting. At the same time, Iranian state media reported that Araghchi spoke to Arab and European foreign ministers about efforts to pursue diplomacy with Washington – where Trump administration officials have yet to commit to more in-person negotiations.
- Egypt: Araghchi held a phone call with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) said on Sunday. The two talked about “diplomacy, the ceasefire” and “the latest regional developments.
- France: France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot “expressed hope that ongoing dialogue would lead to peace in the region” during a call with Araghchi, according to Iran’s semi-official agency, Mehr News. Meanwhile, the Iranian foreign minister emphasized “the importance of European countries playing a constructive role” in a long-lasting ceasefire.
- Turkey: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke to Araghchi late Saturday, ISNA reported.
- Qatar: In a call with Araghchi, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani reaffirmed his “readiness to continue playing an active role in mediation and facilitating dialogue” to end the war, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported.
- Saudi Arabia: Araghchi briefed Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on “the latest diplomatic efforts and initiatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran aimed at ending the war and reducing tensions,” according to Tasnim News Agency.
Why Iran's top diplomat is visiting Russia during his overseas tour
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has visited key mediators in Pakistan and Oman on Sunday, and he is next heading to Russia, highlighting the countries’ long standing partnership.
Russia has remained a critical diplomatic ally for Iran throughout the conflict with the United States. The Kremlin has repeatedly offered to take custody of Iran’s enriched uranium, proposing to store or reprocess it on Russian soil.
While this could theoretically resolve some of the key US demands in negotiations to end its war with Iran, US President Donald Trump reportedly rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer, presumably wanting to stave off Moscow – already a global leader in nuclear energy – from gaining even more leverage.
Beyond uranium, Iran and Russia signed a 20-year treaty in January 2025 strengthening their economic, military and political partnership. Russia views US strikes on Iran as “unprovoked aggression,” but crucially, the agreement signed by Tehran and Moscow stopped short of a mutual-defense pact.
Earlier this week, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he “highly appreciated” Islamabad’s mediation efforts between Iran and the US in a call with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar, while voicing Moscow’s “readiness to contribute.”
In March, CNN reported that Russia was providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of American troops, ships and aircraft, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue – the first indication that Moscow sought to get involved in the war.
Araghchi’s trip to Moscow on Monday is a sign that Tehran will be looking to consult its partners in the Kremlin amid the conflict.
This post has been corrected to reflect that Araghchi’s visit to Moscow will take place on Monday.
Iran's foreign minister expected to meet Putin
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to depart for Russia after his brief stop in Pakistan, a source told CNN.
During his trip to Moscow, Araghchi will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday and “consult with Russian officials on the latest status of the negotiations, the ceasefire and surrounding developments,” Iranian semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency reported, citing Iran’s ambassador to Russia.
In Pakistan, Araghchi is reportedly holding another round of consultations with local officials, IRNA said earlier today. CNN has reached out to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment on the trip.
Correction: An earlier version of this post mistakenly reported that Araghchi had already left for Russia. It has been corrected to reflect that the visit will take place on Monday.
Who is Abbas Araghchi?: Iranian foreign minister and veteran negotiator
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has a wealth of negotiating experience, with nearly 30 years in a variety of diplomatic roles.
Now 63, Araghchi was born in the central city of Esfahan and volunteered to fight in the Iraq-Iran war as a teenager, as did tens of thousands of young Iranians. After receiving a doctorate from the University of Kent in England, Araghchi joined the Iranian Foreign Ministry, and over the past 20 years has been a member of Iranian delegations on nuclear issues.
Other negotiators described him as highly competent with a command of the details. He was instrumental in negotiating the 2015 agreement with the West, Russia and China that set limits on Iran’s nuclear program before US President Donald Trump quit the accord in his first term.
Araghchi was appointed Foreign Minister in 2024 by President Masoud Pezeshkian, with a mandate to secure sanctions relief. He was soon negotiating with US envoy Steve Witkoff on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programs – talks that ultimately failed.
Dozens of senior Iranian officials have been assassinated in airstrikes since the conflict began at the end of February, but Araghchi does not appear to have been a target, perhaps because he is seen as a possible interlocutor in any settlement.
But to many commentators, Araghchi has been eclipsed by other officials closer to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and to the new supreme leader. A post on X declaring the Strait of Hormuz open a week ago sparked criticism at home and a quick reversal, with one semi-official news agency criticizing him for a “flawed and incomplete tweet.”
Iran's internet shutdown is now in its ninth week – but not for everyone
Iran’s government-imposed communications blackout is now in its ninth week, shutting off most of the population from the outside world, internet monitoring watchdog NetBlocks said today.
“The ongoing measure remains in effect, impeding independent reporting and documentation nationwide,” NetBlocks posted on X.
The watchdog has previously branded the crackdown the “longest nation-scale internet shutdown on record in any country.” But what makes the current blackout different is not just its massive scale, experts say.
The ongoing restrictions have been in place since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, following a shorter internet shutdown in January as anti-regime protests spread across the nation, sparking a brutal clampdown by Iranian authorities.
Death toll in Lebanon since March 2 passes 2,500, health ministry says
At least 2,509 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since March 2, the Lebanese health ministry said in an update today.
In addition, more than 7,750 people have been wounded in those same attacks, the ministry said in a statement.
The fragile ceasefire in Lebanon is under strain as Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have increased attacks on each other despite a recent US-brokered extension to the truce that was meant to halt fighting for another three weeks.
Earlier today, the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders for residents in several areas of southern Lebanon.
View from Pakistan: Islamabad opens up again as peace efforts stall
The trappings of imminent talks in Islamabad have given way to almost normal life.
The road closures and checkpoints to help secure possible locations – but which frustrated locals – are gone. The ‘red zone,’ as it is known, is a government and diplomatic hub, and it has been the base for some of the United States’ security and logistics teams, who routinely protect US leaders overseas. They are also beginning a draw down.
Ever since US President Donald Trump announced his Vice-President JD Vance could be coming for face-to-face talks with Iranian officials more than a week ago, the city has been snarled by traffic diverted to smaller roads, while local traders complain they have taken a hit to business.
The city is doubly invested in the talks, not just to enjoy the vibe of a city feeling it might just help world peace, but also hoping a potential deal to open the Strait of Hormuz could also end the energy saving that has thrust swathes of the capital into darkness and forced factories and restaurants to shut early.
Hotels used by the negotiating teams still remain shuttered to the public. Although the Iranian foreign minister, who just returned here following his late-night dash from Islamabad to talks in Oman, isn’t expected to need it. Iranian state media says he’ll be on the ground only briefly, updating Pakistani mediators before heading to meetings Moscow, Russia.
No one is ruling out another lockdown, and US advance teams could get back here in a hurry – it all depends on what progress may happen in later talks and phone calls.
Trump and Starmer discuss “urgent need” to relieve ships in Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed on Sunday the “urgent need to get shipping moving again” in the Strait of Hormuz, as thousands of seafarers remain trapped in the gulf.
The two leaders talked on the phone about the situation in the Middle East, and Starmer warned of “severe consequences on the global economy and the cost of living of people in the UK,” according to a readout from Downing Street.
Their call comes as Tehran warned earlier on Sunday that the waterway would “under no circumstances” return to its previous state after a weeks-long Iranian blockade that has sent oil prices soaring and piled pressure onto the global economy. The United States has responded with a naval blockade on Iran, which is strangling the Islamic Republic’s main economic corridors.
On Sunday, shipping barely trickled through the strait, marine tracking data appeared to show – with just a handful of vessels making the journey.
Britain’s prime minister had called Trump after a suspected gunman stormed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC, late Saturday, where the president was attending alongside administration officials and journalists. The US president and top officials were rushed to safety after shots were fired near stairs leading down to the main ballroom.
