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Key developments
• War negotiations: The US expects a response tonight from Iran on a proposal to end the war, President Donald Trump said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added he hopes “it’s a serious offer.”
• Strait of Hormuz: Trump said the US might resume a short-lived operation to guide ships through the waterway. He paused the operation earlier this week, citing progress in negotiations with Iran.
• Strikes on Iranian vessels: After the flareup yesterday, the US military today said it fired on two Iranian-flagged oil tankers trying to bypass the ongoing blockade. The US and Iran have been embroiled in a “limited exchange of fire” around the strait, according to Iranian media.
• Iran’s supreme leader: US intelligence assesses that Mojtaba Khamenei, who hasn’t been seen in public since he was wounded, is still shaping war strategy, according to sources familiar.
Trump says US expects response from Iran "supposedly tonight"
President Donald Trump told CNN on Friday that his administration expects to hear back from Iran later this evening about a US proposal aimed at ending the conflict. He declined to to say whether he believed Tehran was intentionally delaying the process.
Asked by CNN’s Kristen Holmes whether he had received a response from Iran, Trump said the US would be “getting a letter supposedly tonight.”
Pressed on whether he believed the Iranians were slow-rolling negotiations, Trump replied that he did not know. “We’ll find out soon enough,” he said.
The president’s comments came hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States expected a response from Iran on Friday regarding a proposal intended to end the war.
This post has been updated to correct a quote.
Trump says US might resume operation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump told reporters Friday that the US might resume a short-lived operation, named “Project Freedom,” that guided ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think Project Freedom is good, but I think we have other ways of doing it also. We may go back to Project Freedom if things don’t happen, but it’d be Project Freedom plus, meaning Project Freedom, plus other things,” Trump said as he was leaving the White House.
US Central Command announced the operation on Sunday, calling it an effort to “restore freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz. The details were unclear, but a US official said at the time it was not an escort mission.
Trump, though, abruptly suspended the operation on Tuesday, saying in a post on Truth Social that there had been “Great Progress” toward an agreement to end the war that has paralyzed traffic in the strait. He said at the time the pause would last “for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed.” No such agreement has been reached, and the US is waiting for a new proposal from Iran.
US intel: Iran’s supreme leader out of public view but shaping war strategy
US intelligence assesses that Iran’s new supreme leader is playing a critical role in shaping war strategy alongside senior Iranian officials, according to multiple sources familiar with the intelligence. The reports found that precise authority within a now-fractured regime remains unclear, but that Mojtaba Khamenei is likely helping direct how Iran is managing negotiations with the US to end the war.
Khamenei has not been seen in public since he sustained serious injuries during an attack that killed his father and several of the country’s top military leaders at the beginning of the war, leading to speculation about his health and role in the Iranian leadership structure.
The Trump administration continues to pursue a diplomatic end to the conflict as a ceasefire stretches past a month with US intelligence assessing that Iran continues to dig out from the US bombing campaign that left significant Iranian military capabilities intact and the ability to survive months more of an American blockade, according to sources.
Khamenei was announced as Iran’s new supreme leader replacing his father days after the strike that injured him, but to date the US intelligence community has not been able to visually confirm his whereabouts, the sources said.
Part of the uncertainty stems from Khamenei not using any electronics to communicate, instead only interacting with those who can visit him in-person or by sending messages via a courier, one of the sources added.
The US expects Iran to respond to a proposal to end the war. Here's where things stand now
Earlier Friday, US Central Command said the US military fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers as the ships tried to circumvent the ongoing blockade. The attacks on the vessels came after the US said it targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking its warships in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iranian media, the US and Iran have been embroiled in a “limited exchange of fire” around the strait, while US President Donald Trump maintains the ceasefire between the two countries is still in effect. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the latest US military action against Iran was “separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury” and that the United States would continue to respond “defensively.”
If you’re just catching up on today’s headlines, here’s what you need to know:
- The state of diplomacy: The US is expecting a response today from Iran on a proposal to end the war, and Rubio has said he hopes “it’s a serious offer.” Meanwhile, gunfire and explosions have “been heard” around the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to Iranian media.
- Hezbollah attacks: Hezbollah said it attacked a military base in Israel on Friday, which appears to be the first time the Iranian-backed militant group has publicly claimed responsibility for a cross-border strike since a delicate truce between Israel and Lebanon was ordered in mid-April. Both Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violating the terms of the truce, which was extended by three weeks in late April.
- Port blockade: US Central Command said Friday that more than 70 vessels are being stopped from entering or leaving Iran’s ports amid the US blockade, adding that more than 50 vessels have been redirected.
- Paying the price of war: Some consumers across the world are cutting savings to maintain living standards, as higher costs linked to the Iran war are pushed directly onto households. “Companies are effectively passing costs on to the end consumer,” said Paul Donovan, global chief economist for UBS Wealth Management.
CNN’s Haley Britzky, Zachary Cohen, Billy Stockwell, Brad Lendon, Eleni Giokos, Tim Lister, Aida Karimi, Sana Noor Haq, Jennifer Hansler, Sarah Tamimi, Charbel Mallo, Eugenia Yosef, Kevin Liptak, Kaanita Iyer and Mustafa Qadri contributed to this report.
Hardline Iranian lawmaker warns US naval blockade actions could face military response
A hardline Iranian lawmaker has threatened a “military response” to US naval blockade activity.
Ali Khezrian, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, told state TV that the US should provide “several escorts” for its destroyers so that American sailors can be rescued in case their vessel sinks.
His remarks come as the US military disabled two Iranian oil tankers attempting to run the blockade on Friday. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump touted the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, asserting that “nobody” would challenge it.
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, condemned the blockade on Thursday, calling it an “extension of military action.”
Hezbollah claims first attack in Israel since ceasefire deal was announced
Hezbollah attacked a military base in Israel on Friday, marking the first time the Iranian-backed militant group has publicly claimed responsibility for a cross-border strike since a delicate truce between Israel and Lebanon was ordered in mid-April.
In a statement, Hezbollah said they targeted a military base south of the city of Nahariya with “a barrage of advanced missiles” on Friday afternoon.
Earlier on Friday, the Israeli Air Force intercepted one launch after “a number of launches were detected toward Israeli territory,” according to the Israeli military. “Additional launches fell in open areas. No injuries were reported,” the military said in a statement, accusing Hezbollah of “an additional violation of the ceasefire.”
Later on Friday, Hezbollah said it launched an attack on Israel’s Meron military base, which the Israeli military said was intercepted with some projectiles falling in open areas.
The Israeli military has said on several occasions that Hezbollah projectiles landed in northern Israel, after the US announced a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon to come into effect at midnight local time on April 17.
Separately, Hezbollah also said it targeted a gathering of Israeli military vehicles with attack drones in Tayr Harfa in southern Lebanon.
Both Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violating the terms of the truce, which was extended by three weeks in late April.
Consumers footing the bill as companies pass on rising costs from war, economist says
People in developed economies are cutting savings to maintain living standards, as higher costs linked to the Iran war are pushed directly onto households, an economist told CNN.
“Companies are effectively passing costs on to the end consumer,” said Paul Donovan, global chief economist for UBS Wealth Management.
His comments come as consumer sentiment in the US continued to decline this month, hitting a record low as the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz rattles global energy markets.
Donavon also warned that rising energy prices could leave households with less room for other everyday spending, as customers will prioritize higher fuel and utility bills.
“The problem comes in when consumers are no longer willing to keep cutting back on their savings rate,” Donavon said. “Then you would start to see consumption have to be cut back in order to pay for the higher energy costs.”
US and Iran exchange “limited” fire along Strait of Hormuz, local media says
Gunfire and explosions have “been heard” around the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to Iranian media, after the US military attacked two Iranian-linked ships trying to breach the US blockade.
Over the past two hours, US and Iranian forces have been embroiled in a “limited exchange of fire,” Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said, shortly after a flare-up overnight.
“There are reports of a limited exchange of fire with US forces around the Strait of Hormuz,” Tasnim added. “Sounds of gunfire have reportedly been heard in areas near the Strait for approximately the past two hours.”
Hours earlier, the US intercepted two Iranian-flagged tankers trying to slip through a US blockade, just as they were pulling into a port in the Gulf of Oman, according to US Central Command.
Tehran and Washington traded strikes through the crucial channel late Thursday, as both parties accused each other of firing on non-allied vessels in the Gulf. That spike in violence came on the heels of grinding efforts to completely halt fire, with the White House insisting that the truce is still holding. Just on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Washington is bracing for an Iranian response over a proposal to end the war started by US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in late February.
Separately, Tasnim claimed the origin of attacks on the UAE “remains unclear” after the Emirati defense ministry reported three people were injured in a fresh wave of attacks on Friday.
Lebanon says Israel’s campaign is destroying farmland, as deadly strikes pummel the south
The Israeli military offensive in Lebanon has wiped out nearly a quarter of agricultural land in areas touched by hostilities, the Lebanese government reported today, as lethal strikes battered parts of the south.
At least 10 people were killed by Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon on Friday, according to Lebanon’s Public Ministry of Health, including two women and two children. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.
In total, Israeli strikes have killed 2,759 people and injured 8,512 others since March 2, the ministry said.
Hezbollah also claimed approximately a dozen attacks on Israeli military posts in Lebanon on Friday, as the Israel Defense Forces said they intercepted one projectile launched at northern Israel. The IDF said “additional launches” fell in open areas.
In a statement, Hezbollah said they targeted a military base south of the city of Nahariya with “a barrage of missiles” on Friday afternoon. It appears to be the first time since the ceasefire went into effect nearly one month ago that Hezbollah has publicly claimed an attack on northern Israel. The IDF has said on several occasions that Hezbollah projectiles landed in northern Israel.
Because of the escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the IDF warned of the possibility of increased fire from Lebanon.
Both Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah have accused each other of violating an extended ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, which was first announced to go into effect at midnight Lebanon time April 17.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Israel launches new barrage on the south: Israeli strikes killed three people and injured 15 others in the southern town of Doueir, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Further south, three people were killed and 19 others wounded in Harouf. And in the town of Toura, at least four people were killed and eight injured, the ministry added.
- Renewed Israeli military evacuations: The Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson issued evacuation statements to residents along a stretch of towns and villages, including a handful that are north of the Litani River and outside an occupied zone in the south where the military says it is leveling strikes. The UN has previously warned Israel’s “vaguely communicated blanket statements” may amount to forced displacement in violation of international law.
- Swathes of farmland destroyed: Nearly 78% of farmers have been displaced by hostilities in the south, NNA said on Friday, citing Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry. Areas with fruit trees, citrus plants, banana and olive groves were “among the hardest hit,” the ministry added. About 22.5% of agricultural land within “conflict zones” has been damaged, it said, and more than 29,000 beehives were also destroyed.
- Aoun briefs ambassador ahead of negotiations: Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun met with former ambassador Simon Karam and “gave him his instructions,” NNA said Friday, before the third round of talks with his Israeli counterpart slated to take place in Washington, DC, next week. So far, Aoun has refused to engage in face-to-face discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding a complete halt to Israeli fire on the country.
CNN’s Oren Liebermann contributed to this post.
US disables 2 more Iranian oil tankers attempting to run blockade, US military says
The US military fired on two Iranian-flagged oil tankers trying to bypass the ongoing US blockade, disabling them as they attempted to pull into an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman, US Central Command said Friday.
“A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran,” the release on X said. The tankers disabled were the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda.
The military also disabled a tanker, the M/T Hasna, on Wednesday by firing “several rounds” of a F/A-18 cannon gun.
The disabling of the two tankers comes after the US carried out strikes on several Iranian targets on Thursday in what Central Command said was a response to Iran’s attacks on US warships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the attacks, US officials have maintained that the ceasefire between the US and Iran is still in effect. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the ceasefire “is going” following the strikes.
Egypt’s El-Sisi attempts to smooth UAE ties with visit to Abu Dhabi
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has visited the United Arab Emirates in a show of solidarity after Abu Dhabi expressed frustration with Cairo’s position during the Iran war.
UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and el-Sisi surprised residents with a visit to one of Abu Dhabi’s malls on Thursday. It was the Egyptian president’s second visit to the Gulf Arab country since the war started late February.
The two leaders also inspected an Egyptian squadron of Rafale fighter jets stationed in the UAE, according to pictures posted by the UAE’s defense ministry on X. It is unclear what role the Egyptian squadron has played in the war, if any.
“It seems the UAE did not initially receive the level of back-up it has sought from Egypt,” H.A. Hellyer, senior associate fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, told CNN.
Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the UAE president, criticized “major” Arab and Islamic nations in March for failing to support Gulf Arab countries in “times of hardship.” But his tone has shifted and in late April, he highlighted the “positive stances” of three Arab countries during Iran’s attacks on the UAE, including Egypt.
This shift was a “clear signal” that Egypt-UAE relations were “back on track,” Hellyer said.
Egypt and the UAE are not aligned on several issues, notably Sudan, but have close financial ties.
Exclusive: “We need to teach Yankees a lesson;” Iran warns vessels to stay clear of US warships
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy warned vessels to stay away from US warships in the Strait of Hormuz after overnight skirmishes, saying that sometimes it needs to teach “Yankees” a lesson, according to an audio recording shared with CNN.
“We advise you to keep a distance of at least 10 miles from the warships for your safety, because sometimes we need to teach Yankees (a) lesson” with “missiles and drones,” a voice was heard saying on VHF Channel 16, the radio frequency used by international ships for urgent communications.
A maritime industry source told CNN that on Thursday “the Iranians called on all the ships which were in the northern part of the Strait to move down closer to Dubai, which they all did,” adding that there was “intense gunfire” in the waterway that day.
Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz “remains significantly reduced,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) reported, with several new security-related incidents reported “in the last 48 hours.”
Operating in the waterway “remains high risk based upon recent attacks on ships in the area,” UKMTO said, adding that “blockade-related enforcement activity continues.”
Another source operating in the Iranian maritime industry told CNN that the chances of a “successful amicable resolution to this conflict” remains minimal. “We have some concern that the war may commence soon,” the source said.
Since the US and Israel began airstrikes against Iran at the end of February, Iran has threatened to strike any ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz without permission from the IRGC navy.
US military says more than 70 ships are being stopped from entering or leaving Iran's ports
US Central Command said today that more than 70 vessels are being stopped from entering or leaving Iran’s ports amid the US blockade.
“There are currently more than 70 tankers that U.S. forces are preventing from entering or leaving Iranian ports,” US Central Command said in a post on X. “These commercial ships have the capacity to transport over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated $13 billion-plus.”
Central Command added that more than 50 vessels have been redirected.
Rubio says latest US strikes "separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury"
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US military action against Iran yesterday was “separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury,” and that the United States would continue to respond “defensively.”
Operation Epic Fury, which Rubio said earlier this week is over, “was an offensive operation designed to destroy their missile launches, the navy, their air force,” he said in Rome today.
“What you saw yesterday was US destroyers moving through international waters being fired upon by the Iranians, and the US responded defensively to protect itself,” he said.
Asked if the US has conveyed any red lines to Iran, Rubio replied, “the red line is clear: If they threaten Americans, they’re going to get blown up.”
Iranian attacks on UAE injures 3 people
Three people were injured on Friday following the latest wave of Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates, the UAE’s defense ministry said in a statement.
Its air defenses engaged with two ballistic missiles and three drones launched from Iran, according to the statement.
The UAE has sustained more incoming fire from Iran than any other country in the past two months.
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.
To date, three people were killed and 230 others were injured since the start of Iranian attacks on the UAE, according to the UAE Ministry of Defense.
Rubio: US expecting response from Iran today
The United States is expecting a response today from Iran on a proposal on the war, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, adding that he hopes “it’s a serious offer.”
“We should know something today,” Rubio said at a press gaggle in Rome this morning.
“We have not received that yet, as of the last hour,” he said. “Their system is still highly fractured, and it’s dysfunctional as well, so that may be serving as an impediment.”
The top US diplomat noted that the hope is the Iranian response is “something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation.”
Rubio also noted reporting overnight “that Iran has established or trying to establish some agency that’s going to control traffic in the Strait,” saying that “that would be very problem, that would actually be unacceptable.”
Global food prices rise for third month running, UN data shows
Global food prices rose in April for the third straight month, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today, as conflict in the Middle East fuelled global supply concerns and pushed up the cost of fertilizer.
Prices of cereals, vegetable oil and meat all rose, though dairy and sugar prices fell, according to the FAO’s Food Price Index, which tracks a basket of internationally traded food commodities
“Despite the disruptions linked to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, global agrifood systems continue to show resilience,” said FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero. “Cereal prices have increased only moderately so far, supported by relatively strong stocks and adequate supplies from previous seasons.”
The FAO said it expects global cereal supplies to hold up through 2026, with production forecast to rise 6% year-on-year, but that uncertainty remains over next year’s wheat output as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drives up energy and fertilizer costs.
Iranian foreign minister calls US strikes "reckless military adventure"
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country will “never bow to pressure” as he condemned US strikes on Iran after the two sides traded fire yesterday amid a strained ceasefire.
US forces targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking American warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command said Thursday. The US sought to downplay any suggestion that the strikes marked an escalation, and US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire was still in effect in a phone call with ABC News.
The ministry reiterated in a statement that Iran was ready to defend itself “against any aggression or evil intent.”
Iranian regime-imposed internet blackout enters day 70, watchdog says
An internet shutdown enforced by the Iranian regime has entered a 70th day, according to the monitoring group NetBlocks, severing key access from swathes of the population under the shadow of war.
The blackout has now surpassed 1,656 hours, NetBlocks reported on Friday, marking more than two months since US-Israeli strikes pounded Tehran and roiled the region.
“Digital connectivity is vital in times of crisis,” NetBlocks said in a post on X. “Limiting service harms those most in need – people with disabilities, students, small businesses and the general public.”
Iran enforced a separate internet shutdown on the nation’s 92 million people earlier this year, when it unleashed the most lethal crackdown on anti-government demonstrators since the founding of the Islamic Republic 47 years ago. At the time, witnesses, human rights activists and medical professionals told CNN that security forces unleashed mass violence over a weekend in January, in what resembled a warzone.
The latest blackout has cut off another potential lifeline for Iranian residents faced with high unemployment and economic pressure exacerbated by the US-Israeli campaign.
