Here's the latest
• US and Iran trade fire: US forces said they targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking its warships in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran’s armed forces said the airstrikes hit civilian areas.
• Trump threat: The US president said the ceasefire is still in effect, but warned “we’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently” if Iran doesn’t sign a deal soon. Iran has not yet finalized its response to a US proposal to end the war.
• Ceasefires under strain: The United Arab Emirates tackled fresh attacks from Iran today, the Defense Ministry said. And in Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 12 people yesterday, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
• Seized ships: Pakistani and Iranian seafarers on vessels seized by the US that are now near Singapore waters will be repatriated, according to Pakistan’s foreign minister.
US gas prices fall for the first time in more than two weeks
The cost of a gallon of regular gas edged down a little more than a penny to $4.55, the first decline in average gas price in AAA’s readings after 15 straight day of increases.
The decline is miniscule compared to the large increases in gas prices over the last two weeks. Gasoline costs rose an average of nearly 4 cents a day during that period and had several daily increases of between 7 to 9 cents.
Based on past gas spikes, it will likely take weeks for gas prices to get down below $4 a gallon. A previous two-week stretch of gas price declines only shaved 14 cents off the average price, taking the average price to $4.02, before the recent 15-day run of increases.
It could take months for the average price to drop below $3 a gallon where it was before the start of the war in Iran.
Only one state – Oklahoma – now has an average price of less than $4 a gallon, and its average stands at $3.98. California has the highest average price at $6.16.
Trump says ceasefire holding after US and Iran unleashed strikes. Here's what to know
US President Donald Trump sought to allay fears of the truce between the US and Iran folding overnight, after Tehran and Washington launched attacks on non-allied vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
As violence flared in the region, global oil prices inched higher. The price of Brent crude oil, the international barometer, increased by 0.2% at $100.3 early Friday. However, the shift was limited compared to swings earlier this week, indicating traders are confident the US-Iran ceasefire will hold.
Here’s what you need to know:
- “Just a love tap:” Trump insisted the fraught truce with Tehran was still holding, referring to the US salvo overnight as a “love tap.” “The ceasefire is going. It’s in effect,” he told ABC News in a phone interview on Thursday. Earlier that day, the US president threatened to strike Iran “a lot more violently” if leaders do not accede to a proposal to end the war.
- Iran deployed missiles on US warships: Iranian forces attacked US naval ships late Thursday, including with “anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles” and “loitering” drones, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
- Fresh barrage hits UAE: The UAE’s defense ministry warned of incoming missiles from Tehran and urged the public to “remain calm,” after several Iranian news outlets framed Abu Dhabi as partly responsible for the uptick in violence.
- Proposal in the balance: Officials in Tehran are reading through “messages” from the White House, according to Iranian media, after the US proposed halting fire and a 30-day negotiating period for resolving outstanding demands, according to a source familiar.
- Israeli attacks batter Lebanon, killing paramedic: The Israeli military killed 12 people and injured dozens others in strikes on Lebanon Thursday, according to the Lebanese Public Ministry of Health. A paramedic and a child were among those killed in the south, the ministry said. The UN previously warned such attacks “undermine people’s access to care.”
Listen to what Trump said about the attacks yesterday:
President Donald Trump warned Iran it would face “pain” if it does not sign a deal soon, while speaking to reporters Thursday during a surprise visit to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation site in Washington.
US choice of strike targets sends a warning to Iran, CNN military analyst says
The US strikes on key military sites Thursday sent a warning to Iran about the scope of any potential escalation in the conflict, according to CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton.
The US Central Command said it targeted military facilities responsible for launching missile, drone and small boat attacks against American warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A US official told CNN that strikes were carried out in multiple locations including Bandar Abbas and Qeshm.
A spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces said US airstrikes hit civilian areas along the coasts of Qeshm Island, Bandar Khamir and Sirik.
“Bandar Abbas is the naval headquarters for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and it is strategically located right at that bend in the Strait of Hormuz, so these are significant targets,” Leighton told CNN’s Elex Michaelson.
After the strikes, President Donald Trump said the ceasefire remains in effect, but warned “we’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently” if Iran doesn’t sign a deal soon.
Brent back at $100 a barrel after Gulf skirmishes
Global oil prices have nudged higher after US and Iranian forces exchanged fire overnight, but the move is small compared to the wild swings seen earlier this week, suggesting traders are confident the ceasefire will hold.
Brent crude futures, the global benchmark, were 0.2% higher at $100.3 at 5:18 a.m. ET. West Texas Intermediate futures — which rose on news of the flareup in fighting in after-hours trade yesterday — were little changed.
President Donald Trump said three US Navy destroyers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, but played down the exchange, saying the ceasefire remained in effect.
Iran accused the US of targeting an Iranian oil tanker and carrying out air attacks on some of its coastal areas.
Oil prices fell sharply earlier this week on reports the US and Iran were closing in on a deal to end hostilities that would leave thornier issues to be discussed at a later date.
Saudi Arabia calls for “de-escalation” after US and Iran trade fire in Strait of Hormuz
A senior Saudi diplomat has reaffirmed efforts “supporting de-escalation and negotiations,” after Tehran and Washington unleashed strikes over the Strait of Hormuz overnight.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia maintains its position supporting de-escalation and negotiations efforts,” Rayed Krimly, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy, posted on X on Friday.
The US and Iran traded fire in the key waterway late Thursday, after accusing each other of firing on vessels transiting the strait. Trump told reporters the ceasefire deal was still holding, insisting Tehran had agreed not to develop nuclear weapons.
Hours later, the UAE said it was dealing with incoming missiles from Iran after several Iranian news outlets framed Abu Dhabi as partly responsible for the escalation. The UAE has borne the brunt of Iran’s attacks during the war.
On Friday morning, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei warned: “If you see a lion’s teeth exposed, do not assume the lion is smiling.” It is unclear who the post was addressed to but it was written in Arabic. Iran’s state-linked Tasnim news agency said it was “in response to recent movements in the Persian Gulf region.”
Aida Karimi contributed to this post.
Iranian and Pakistani crew members on ships seized by US to be repatriated
Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said he spoke with his Iranian and Singaporean counterparts about repatriating crew members on ships seized by the US.
Dar asked Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan for help facilitating the repatriation “of 11 Pakistani and 20 Iranian seafarers, aboard vessels seized by U.S. authorities and currently near Singaporean waters,” he said on Friday in a post on X.
Dar also spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and said Islamabad “stands ready to facilitate the safe repatriation of Iranian nationals to Iran via Pakistan.”
Dar didn’t specify which ships the crew members were on. The US has seized multiple sanctioned tankers in the Indian Ocean.
Iran says it used missiles and drones in attack on US warships
Iranian forces attacked US warships with missiles and drones during an exchange of fire Thursday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement reported by state-affiliated news agency YjcNewsChannel.
“A massive and highly precise combined operation was carried out using various anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles, along with loitering drones equipped with high-explosive warheads, targeting the enemy destroyers,” the agency said.
US Central Command and President Donald Trump previously said three US Navy guided-missile destroyers fended off a multi-pronged Iranian attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.
Trump said Iran tried to hit three destroyers with a mix of drones, fast-attack boats and missiles and were defeated.
What Trump’s “love tap” remark meant, according to CNN military analyst
US President Donald Trump’s “love tap” comment tells us a lot about the latest US strikes on Iran, according to CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton.
Following an exchange of fire between the US and Iran around the Strait of Hormuz, Trump had told ABC News on Thursday the ceasefire was still in effect and described the US strikes as “just a love tap.”
“I think what he is trying to say is that this is a measured response toward what the Iranians are doing,” Leighton told CNN following US strikes on Iranian facilities it said were linked to attacks on American warships in the Strait of Hormuz.
“What they’re saying is ‘you can attack a few things here but we’re going to respond.’”
Leighton said the US administration hopes this response will resolve the situation but it depends on whether Iran decides to “let things proceed in a diplomatic fashion” or retaliate.
This also ties into Iran’s assessment of the US proposal to end the war and whether or not they will agree to it, he added. Iran has not yet finalized its response to the US proposal, according to state media.
Trump’s “love tap” comment may also signal his intent to uphold the ceasefire and deescalate tensions, with Iran’s cooperation, according to Leighton. “They want to deescalate and this is their way of doing it,” he said.
Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon leave more dead and wounded
Destruction in Lebanon from Israeli airstrikes continued Thursday, with at least 12 killed and dozens wounded, according to the country’s health ministry.
A paramedic and a child were among those killed in the past 24 hours due to airstrikes in villages across southern Lebanon, the ministry said in statements released late Thursday.
A colleague of the paramedic killed in Majdal Selem was among 37 people wounded across the region, it added.
Israel and Hezbollah have continued to strike each other in southern Lebanon, despite a declared ceasefire in the country.
The third round of talks between Israel and Lebanon is set for next Thursday and Friday in Washington, DC, according to a State Department official and an Israeli source.
Kamala Harris on Trump's war with Iran: "It's all just bullsh*t!"
Former Vice President Kamala Harris Thursday afternoon criticized the Trump administration’s war with Iran, saying, “It’s all just bullsh*t!”
“When you look at this war in Iran, which the American people do not want, which was not authorized by (Congress)— but even if it was, it should not have been initiated,” Harris told the crowd at a Nevada Democrats’ fireside chat in Las Vegas.
“He talked about obliterating, and then he said oh he did— It’s all just bullsh*t,” Harris said to thunderous applause.
“I promised I’m not going to curse in public anymore,” she quipped.
Harris’ comments come as President Donald Trump warned Iran to sign a deal “fast” after attacks on US destroyers in Strait of Hormuz.
“I’m not gonna dismiss him as being an idiot. He’s dangerous. He’s dangerous,” Harris later continued.
The former vice president also addressed the Supreme Court’s recent opinion on the Voting Rights Act, saying that it will have a “profound effect” on midterm elections.
“They’re making it intentionally more difficult for people to vote because they know people are not stupid and are paying attention to the cost of gas, and the cost of housing, and the cost of this war,” Harris said of Republicans’ redistricting push.
The UAE is defending against a fresh attack from Iran
The United Arab Emirates is currently tackling missile and drone attacks from Iran, the country’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement written in Arabic.
The UAE has sustained more incoming fire from Iran than any other country in the past two months.
Sounds rang out across the country due to “ongoing engaging operations of missiles and UAVs,” it said Friday morning on X.
“The public is urged to remain calm and follow the safety and security instructions issued by relevant authorities.”
The UAE previously declared its airspace free of threats on April 9, coinciding with the start of the US-Iran ceasefire, but it has continued intercepting attacks.
What to know about the US destroyers Iran attacked
Three US Navy guided-missile destroyers fended off a multi-pronged Iranian attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, US Central Command and President Donald Trump said.
“Three World Class American Destroyers just transited, very successfully, out of the Strait of Hormuz, under fire. There was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers,” Trump wrote in a post.
Trump said Iran tried to hit the three destroyers with a mix of drones, fast-attack boats and missiles and were easily defeated.
The three US warships involved – USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta and USS Mason – are Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, part of a fleet of more than 75 in active service, the Navy’s workhorses.
The Arleigh Burke-class ships, just over 500 feet long and displacing 8,200 to 9,700 tons, have a range of defensive armaments.
They carry high-end, multi-million-dollar Standard missiles that can deal with incoming ballistic or cruise missiles. The Sea Sparrow missile system can also deal with shorter-range threats.
If incoming targets get past those systems, US destroyers also carry the Phalanx Close-In Weapons System, a radar-guided 20mm Gatling gun that can fire 4,500 rounds a minute and can be used a last-resort defense.
The destroyers also have a five-inch 127mm gun mounted on their bows that can engage surface targets like the Iranian fast-attack boats.
CENTCOM did not specify what weapons were used to stop Thursday’s Iranian attack. But Trump gave a flowery description of how the missiles and drones were brought down.
Iran and US are still working towards a peace deal. Here's what Trump has said
President Donald Trump said Thursday that a US proposal aimed at ending the conflict with Iran was more extensive than a “one-page offer,” as Tehran continues reviewing messages from Washington delivered through Pakistani mediators.
Here’s what Trump has said about the peace deal with Iran:
- Trump said Thursday to reporters that Iran’s offer “basically said they will not have nuclear weapons, they are going to hand us the nuclear dust and many other things we want.” In terms of whether Iran has agreed to that, Trump said, “They have agreed.” According to Iranian media, Tehran has not yet finalized its response to the US proposal.
- Trump also addressed the ceasefire, saying that it remains in effect. “You won’t have to know if there’s no ceasefire,” he told reporters Thursday. “You’ll just have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran.”
- The situation has settled down now after US and Iranian forces exchanged fire in and along the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media. There have been no reports so far of civilian casualties, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said, citing a state media reporter in the country’s southern Hormozgan province, which is home to the Iranian coast and islands along the strait. Trump described the strikes as “just a love tap” and “they trifled with us.”
- Trump also warned Thursday that if Iran doesn’t sign a deal soon, “we’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently” after American forces destroyed Iranian attackers targeting three US Navy destroyers as they transited the strait.
CNN’s Billy Stockwell, Zachary Cohen, Alejandra Jaramillo, Hira Humayun, Mitchell McCluskey and Alessandra Freitas contributed to this report.
Beijing's possible impact on the Iran war
US President Donald Trump is due to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week. While Chinese officials played a role in building the current ceasefire, analysts say that Beijing may not be in a rush to ramp up pressure on Tehran just yet. CNN’s Steven Jiang has more.
Iran's top diplomat has met his Chinese counterpart for the first time since the war broke out, ahead of the delayed summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. CNN's Steven Jiang explains why analysts see Beijing playing a long game amid the Middle East conflict and global oil crisis.
What happened in the exchange of fire between US and Iran around the Strait of Hormuz
US and Iranian forces exchanged fire in and along the Strait of Hormuz yesterday.
Here’s what happened:
- Iran accused the United States of carrying out attacks on its territory after semi-official media outlets reported explosions Thursday night. A spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces then said US airstrikes hit civilian areas along the coasts of Qeshm Island, Bandar Khamir and Sirik.
- Iran responded with “reciprocal action” by attacking US military vessels east of the strait and south of the port of Chabahar, the spokesperson said in a video address carried by state media.
- US Central Command said US forces targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for launching a series of “unprovoked” missile, drone and small boat attacks against American warships transiting the Strait. It said, “No US assets were struck.”
- Central Command added that US forces do “not seek escalation,” but that military is “ready to protect American forces.”
- Iranian state media reported the situation was “back to normal” after the exchange of attacks and there have been no reports of civilian casualties, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
