Our live coverage has moved
• Get the latest updates on the war with Iran here.
Key developments
• Price of war: The US war against Iran has cost $29 billion so far — an estimate that’s higher than the $25 billion figure the Pentagon provided to Congress two weeks ago.
• Ceasefire status: Some aides to President Donald Trump said he is now more seriously considering resuming combat operations in Iran. After describing the ceasefire on “massive life support” Monday, the US president is now heading to China, where he said he’ll have a “long talk” on Iran with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but downplayed the need for Beijing’s help.
• Pain at the gas pump: Trump told reporters, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation” as he pushes for a deal with Iran. Earlier, the Energy Department raised its forecast for gas prices, with retail prices now expected to average $3.88 a gallon this year — up from the last month’s forecast of $3.70.
Iran war looms over Trump-Xi summit in China
President Donald Trump departed Washington on Tuesday for Beijing. With the US still at war with Iran, this isn’t the China trip Trump initially wanted.
As CNN’s Betsy Klein reports, Trump wanted to focus on US economic priorities when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the ongoing war — and his failed efforts at a peace deal — will overshadow his prior goals.
President Donald Trump had hoped to focus on US economic priorities with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the Iran war — and his failed efforts at a peace deal — will complicate the US president’s prior goals. CNN's Betsy Klein reports from Beijing.
Is the Iran war costing Americans $29 billion or $1 trillion?
The Pentagon says the cost of the Iran war is $29 billion, a figure that’s higher than the $25 billion price tag it issued to Congress two weeks ago.
But according to one war budgeting expert, the conflict will ultimately cost US taxpayers at least $1 trillion.
On Tuesday, a senior Pentagon official said the new cost of the conflict included updated repair and replacement of equipment along with operational costs.
CNN previously reported that the earlier $25 billion estimate was a lowball figure that did not include the cost of repairing damage to US bases in the Middle East.
Linda Bilmes, a public policy expert at the Harvard Kennedy School, projects that the conflict with Iran will cost American taxpayers at least $1 trillion.
In an online post in April, she writes: “Wars always cost more than expected. Throughout history, those who get into wars tend to be optimistic about the cost and about the length of time it will take.”
“For example, Russia thought it could take control of Ukraine in a few weeks. President George W. Bush fired his economic advisor, Larry Lindsey, for predicting that the Iraq War might cost $200 billion (it ended up costing $5 trillion).”
In the post, Bilmes breaks it down into short-term and medium to long-term costs. Short-term costs include munitions (missiles, bombs, interceptors), maintenance of 2–3 carrier strike groups, maintenance of personnel and combat pay, and lost or destroyed assets such as fighter jets and drones.
She points out that replacement costs are often higher than the historical value of inventory. For example, a Tomahawk missile may be valued at $2 million in inventory, but replacing one today costs up to $3.5 million.
Medium to long-term costs of the war include repairing facilities over the next 4–5 years, restocking inventory with higher-tech weapons systems, and veterans’ care for 55,000 US troops in the region who may be exposed to hazards.
On top of it all, there’s the impact of rising energy prices on the global economy from the ongoing conflict.
The US Department of Energy now says oil prices will likely stay above $100 a barrel in the coming weeks.
Some analysts warn the national average for gas at the pump will eventually hit $5 a gallon.
This post has been updated to correct the spelling of Linda Bilme.
Saudi Arabia launched covert attacks on Iran in March, Reuters reports
Saudi Arabia launched multiple covert strikes on Iran in response to attacks in the kingdom, according to a Reuters report citing two Western officials briefed on the matter and two Iranian officials.
The Western officials assessed the attacks were carried out in late March, according to Reuters.
The attacks mark the first time Saudi Arabia is known to have directly carried out an attack on Iranian soil.
Reuters says it was unable to confirm the specific targets.
The Western sources said that by the end of March, diplomatic contacts and the threat by Saudi Arabia to retaliate further led to an understanding to de-escalate, Reuters reported.
The informal de-escalation went into effect the week before the temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran was announced on April 7, Reuters said.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment and a senior Saudi Foreign Ministry official did not address directly whether strikes had been carried out.
Israel is worried that Trump will strike a "bad deal" with Iran
Israel is concerned that US President Donald Trump may strike an agreement with Iran before addressing some of the key issues that drove the two countries to launch the war in the first place, multiple Israeli sources have told CNN.
A deal that leaves Tehran’s nuclear program partially intact while bypassing issues such as ballistic missiles and support for regional proxies would lead to Israel viewing the war as incomplete, the sources said.
Early in the war, Trump suggested the US wanted to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile program, end its support for regional proxies, and shut down its nuclear facilities so that it can never develop a bomb. But 10 weeks in, negotiations have focused on uranium – specifically its enrichment to weapons-grade levels – and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
One source familiar with the discussions said that Israel understands the missiles and the proxies “are probably off the table,” as they do not appear to be included in early diplomatic drafts, and that is why Prime Minister Netanyahu is prioritizing uranium as the most immediate threat.
Israel remains on high alert for a breakdown in talks, a senior Israeli official said. “We will be happy if there will be no deal, we will be happy if the siege on Hormuz continues, and we will be happy if Iran gets a few more strikes,” he said, acknowledging the decision ultimately lies with Trump.
Escalation, he noted, is a realistic scenario “if the Iranians continue to play and drag negotiations.”
See the tiny office that's playing a crucial role in international warfare
When a vessel runs into trouble in the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz, they’ll likely call the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations office.
A look inside the small office and its 18-person team:
Reporting that Iran is "doing well" in the war is "virtual TREASON," Trump says
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that it’s treasonous to report that the Iranians are “doing well” militarily in the war with the United States.
“When the Fake News says that the Iranian enemy is doing well, Militarily, against us, it’s virtual TREASON in that it is such a false, and even preposterous, statement. They are aiding and abetting the enemy! All it does is give Iran false hope when none should exist,” Trump posted on social media during the first leg of his flight to China.
“Only Losers, Ingrates, and Fools are able to make a case against America!” he added.
It isn’t the first time Trump has lobbed public treason accusations over the Iran war, though his previous comments did not target reporters specifically. Trump has also pushed the Justice Department to issue subpoenas to reporters covering the war in Iran to find their sources, CNN has reported.
The president delivered the message on a sticky note — the word “Treason” in Sharpie — placed atop a stack of printed articles he handed to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a White House meeting, officials told CNN.
Oil predicted to stay about $100 a barrel as US war costs hit $29 billion
As the US defense bill for the war with Iran is now estimated to be about $29 billion, the conflict’s disruption to major energy infrastructure is threatening to keep gas prices high for Americans.
Here’s the latest on oil and other key headlines to know:
- US Energy Department officials raised their forecast for gas prices and warned oil futures will likely stay above $100 a barrel in the coming weeks.
- One of the world’s largest onshore gas processing facilities located in the United Arab Emirates will not return to full operational capacity until 2027, according to its operator, after Iranian strikes hampered production.
- A large oil spill is continuing to swirl in the waters off Iran’s Kharg Island. Satellite imagery shows the spill, which was identified last week, flowing southward and fragmenting as it moves.
- The US war against Iran has cost $29 billion so far, according to Jay Hurst, who is performing the duties of Pentagon Comptroller. That is $4 billion higher than the figure senior Pentagon officials provided to Congress two weeks ago.
- The United Kingdom is sending autonomous mine-hunting equipment and anti-drone systems to the Strait of Hormuz, the British Ministry of Defence said.
- Meanwhile, at least six people were killed in Lebanon and two Israeli soldiers injured in Israel as Iran-backed Hezbollah and the Israeli military continue trading fire despite a fragile ceasefire.
- Earlier, the Lebanese health ministry said at least 380 people have been killed and 1,122 injured in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect on April 17.
- Israeli police issued a warning saying many Israelis had received messages from unknown numbers encouraging them to cooperate with Iranian intelligence and threatening them with further attacks.
CNN’s Mustafa Qadri, Billy Stockwell, Matt Egan, Haley Britzky, Charbel Mallo, Hira Humayun, Florence Davey-Attlee, Dana Karni, Tal Shalev, James Frater and Max Saltman contributed reporting to this post.
13 killed in Lebanon and two soldiers injured in Israel amid fragile truce
At least 13 people have been killed in Lebanon and two Israeli soldiers injured in Israel as Hezbollah and the Israeli military continue trading fire despite a fragile ceasefire.
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon’s Jibsheet, Kfar Dounine and Nabatieh areas killed 13 people in total, according to the country’s health ministry. A child, a woman and a Lebanese army member are among the dead, the ministry said.
The Israeli military said it intercepted rockets and drones in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces are operating and separately struck what it says were Hezbollah military targets and militants. A drone attack in Israel, near the border, injured two soldiers, one of whom was a reservist, the Israeli military added.
Hezbollah claimed multiple attacks on Israeli military assets and personnel in southern Lebanon.
Both Israel and Hezbollah have accused one another of violating the ceasefire.
Kuwait says it arrested four IRGC members attempting to infiltrate the country
Kuwait arrested what it said were four members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) who were attempting to infiltrate the Gulf Arab country to “carry out hostile acts,” state-run Kuwait’s News Agency (KUNA) reported.
The four attempted to enter the country on May 1 aboard a fishing boat and clashed with Kuwaiti soldiers, which led to the injury of one soldier, KUNA said.
The incident, if confirmed, would be the first known attempted military infiltration by Iran into one of its neighbors during the war. KUNA named the four who were arrested, including their military ranks.
Kuwait’s interior ministry said the four confessed about being tasked by the IRGC to infiltrate Bubiyan Island, a major commercial and logistics hub, on May 1 “to execute the mission which includes conducting hostile acts against Kuwait.”
The Iranian government denied the reports in a statement published by semi-official news agency Tasnim, calling them “baseless” and demanding that Kuwait grant Iran’s ambassador access to the four detainees.
The four Iranians were “carrying out routine maritime patrol duties” for the Coast Guard, the statement said, and only entered Kuwaiti waters due to a “disruption in the navigation system.”
Kuwait was among the Gulf Arab countries struck by Tehran following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
On Tuesday, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had summoned the Iranian ambassador to “(hand) him a protest note” expressing Kuwait’s outrage over the incident.
Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister Hamad Sulaiman Al-Mashaan told the Iranian ambassador that “Kuwait reserves its full right to defend itself” and “to take whatever measures it deems appropriate to protect its sovereignty and the security of its people and residents on its territory.”
What to know about US-Iran negotiations and Trump's trip to China
Negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain at an impasse after President Donald Trump called Iran’s latest counterproposal to end the war “a piece of garbage” over the weekend.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what to know today as Trump heads to China.
Negotiations:
- Trump is confident Iran will stop enriching uranium and abandon any effort to build a nuclear weapon, he said during an interview on WABC on Tuesday.
- The president said he has been directly engaged with Iranian officials during the talks, he told WABC.
- He told reporters at the White House the US has the situation with Iran “very much under control” and “we’re either going to make a deal or they’re going to be decimated.”
- Trump also said he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation,” when it comes to negotiating a deal. The “most important thing, by far” is that Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon, he said.
Trump’s trip to China:
- The war will be a big topic of conversation on Trump’s visit. The US president left Tuesday afternoon and said he plans to have a “long talk” about it with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. However, he downplayed the idea he would need China’s help in ending the conflict.
- Beijing is viewed as a potential mediator between Washington and Tehran, Iranian Ambassador to China Rahmani Fazli said, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will be with Trump on his trip, he told lawmakers today.
CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo, Kit Maher, Aida Karimi, Nadeen Ebrahim, Sophia Saifi, Haley Britzky and Hira Humayun contributed reporting to this post.
Trump says he'll have a "long talk" on Iran with Xi, but downplays need for China's help
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he plans to have a “long talk” about the Iran war with Chinese leader Xi Jinping when he arrives in Beijing, though he downplayed the idea he would need China’s help in ending the conflict.
“I don’t think we need any help with Iran. We’ll win it one way or another,” Trump told CNN’s Alayna Treene on the South Lawn of the White House. “We’ll win it peacefully or otherwise.”
Asked what his message to Xi is on Iran, Trump said, “I think he’s been relatively good, to be honest with you. You look at the blockade, no problem. They get a lot of their oil from that area. We’ve had no problem. And he’s been a friend of mine.”
Minutes later, Trump downplayed the significance of discussing Iran with China, claiming the US has the situation “very much under control.” He added that “more than anything else,” trade will be their chief topic of discussion.
“We have a lot of things to discuss; I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control. We’re either going to make a deal or they’re going to be decimated,” he said.
Trump: "I don't think about Americans' financial situation" when negotiating with Iran
President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that the financial stresses of Americans are not top of mind for him as he pushes to make a peace deal with Iran.
“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,” he said outside the White House, before leaving for a trip to China. “I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, that’s all.”
Pressed to clarify that he is not considering the financial impact of the war on Americans, Trump reiterated that stopping Iran from having a nuclear weapon is “the most important thing, by far.”
“The most important thing, by far, including whether our stock market — which, by the way is at an all-time high — but including whether or not our stock market goes up or down a little bit, the most important thing by far is Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump added that “if the stock market goes up or down a little bit” that Americans will still “understand” the importance of the war. He repeated his claim that when the conflict is over, the price of oil will drop quickly.
Watch the moment:
President Trump was asked on Tuesday to what extent Americans’ financial situation was motivating him to make a deal with Iran.
Iranian official suggests peace may not be the US's main motive
Iran’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi suggested today that the United States’ main motive in negotiations may not be peace, writing in a post on X that “one cannot speak of a ceasefire while continuing the siege.”
The deputy minister had said on Saturday that Iran’s 14-point counter-proposal was aimed at “the permanent end” of the war, and that the “ball is in the United States’ court,” according to state media outlet IRIB.
Yesterday, US President Donald Trump called Iran’s offer “stupid” and “unacceptable.”
The last reference likely concerns Israel, the US’s partner in the war with Iran.
UK sending autonomous mine-hunters to the Strait of Hormuz
The United Kingdom is sending autonomous mine-hunting equipment and “cutting edge” anti-drone systems to the Strait of Hormuz, the British Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday.
“The UK is playing a leading role to secure the Strait of Hormuz, and we are demonstrating that today with new cutting-edge kit to protect our interests and secure the strait,” said John Healy, secretary of state for defense, according to the statement.
The UK said over the weekend that the Royal Navy’s HMS Dragon would deploy to the Middle East to support mine clearance efforts in the busy waterway. The UK and France have together led efforts to muster an international mission to better secure shipping lanes in the strait.
Telegram channels claiming to recruit for Iranian intelligence removed after CNN report
Following a CNN investigation into potential links between Iran and a recent spate of antisemitic attacks in Europe, Telegram channels examined in the report have been removed from the platform.
One channel, VIPEmployment – which had asked a CNN journalist what actions they could take “against Zionist individuals or assets” and told the undercover reporter they were looking to “hire anyone who can harm Israeli interests or individuals” – had disappeared from Telegram by Tuesday morning. Other accounts linked to the channel also seem to have been removed in recent hours.
CNN’s story, published Monday, showed how VIPEmployment was openly claiming to recruit “high-paid agents” around the world to act against Israeli individuals and assets. It also found other accounts claiming to be Iranian intelligence who offered money, paid via crypto, to carry out low level anti-West protests.
The report also found a Telegram channel by the same name appeared in Israeli indictments and other official documents. Israeli officials allege it was used by Iran to recruit Israelis to spy on sensitive sites and individuals in exchange for money.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared CNN’s report online on Monday describing the recruitment channels as “outsourcing terror” and calling on the governments of other countries to do more, saying: “Host countries of Iranian diplomats cannot keep ignoring the regime’s networks and activities operating on their soil.”
In a message sent to CNN on Telegram when VIPEmployment was closed down, another user calling themselves “Sina” said: “If (US President Donald) Trump and (Israeli leader Benjamin) Netanyahu’s opponents want to support free people, the whole media screams. Our communication channel for free people is always open.”
The channel appears to have immediately launched a similarly named handle on Telegram, indicating just how hard it is for authorities to crack down on social media recruitment by foreign or hostile interests.
Pakistan and China's foreign ministers speak about US-Iran truce ahead of Trump's Beijing visit
Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, about the need for a US-Iran truce ahead of US President Donald Trump’s trip to China.
The ministers spoke about regional developments and Pakistan’s efforts to help facilitate talks between the US and Iran, according to a readout from Pakistan’s foreign ministry.
Pakistan has been a key mediator in the now-stalled peace talks between the US and Iran, a role Wang expressed appreciation for during his conversation with Dar.
One of the many talking points in the high-stakes Trump-Xi summit will be Iran – of which China has been a longstanding ally and major Iranian oil importer.
Sources say a major decision on Iran is unlikely to be made before Trump’s departure to China later today.
An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader warned Trump on Monday that he should not mistake the current lack of fighting between their two countries as a victory as he heads to Beijing, according to state-linked media.
Israelis receive recruitment text messages from Iranian intelligence, police say
Text messages have been sent to the phones of Israeli citizens encouraging them to cooperate with Iranian intelligence and threatening them with further attacks.
Israeli police issued a warning Tuesday saying many Israelis had received messages from unknown numbers which they said were “intended to create panic among the public and represent attempts by Iranian intelligence elements to recruit Israeli citizens in Israel and abroad.”
One such message, shared by Israeli police and verified by CNN, encouraged recipients to cooperate and “contact Iranian embassies in various countries or one of the Iranian cyber operatives online.” However, the message did not provide any specific links or contact information for Iranian intelligence.
Another message was more threatening in nature, seeming to allude to further potential missile attacks on Israel. “We promised you that soon you would see stars in the night sky that are not stars,” it read. “Soon you will see the sun in the night sky.”
The Iran-linked cyber-hacking group Handala said Tuesday it had sent out WhatsApp messages to tens of thousands of Israelis warning of further missile attacks, although it was not immediately clear if these were the same messages flagged by police.
CNN has previously reported on similar anonymous threatening text messages sent to Israeli phones during the country’s conflict with Iran, as well as an unprecedented wave of Iranian attempts to recruit Israelis for espionage since 2023, in many cases through social media and messaging apps.
The latest round of messages came a day after CNN published an investigation into Iran’s possible links to a recent wave of antisemitic attacks in Europe. The report showed how operatives claiming to be acting on behalf of Iran use social media and messaging to potentially recruit individuals for surveillance and violence. According to Israeli indictments and official records, the same method was used to recruit Israelis to spy on sensitive sites and individuals.
Gas price outlook downgraded by US officials as energy crisis drags on
Energy Department officials raised their forecast for gas prices today and warned oil futures will likely stay above $100 a barrel in the coming weeks.
The darkening outlook from the US Energy Information Administration underscores the scale of the energy shock that is raising the cost of living.
Retail gas prices are now expected to average $3.88 a gallon this year and $3.62 next, according to the new EIA projections. That’s up from the EIA’s forecast a month ago, when officials expected $3.70-a-gallon gas this year and $3.46 next year.
Some analysts warn that the national average could eventually hit $5 a gallon.
While President Donald Trump has at times claimed the Strait of Hormuz was open, the EIA’s forecast assumes the key waterway will “remain effectively closed through late May.” The EIA expects traffic to resume in June but only “gradually” and not return to normal until the end of the year.
That’s why the EIA now assumes a much larger decline in the global oil inventories that act as shock absorbers.
Officials now expect Brent crude oil, the world benchmark, will remain near $106 a barrel in May and June, compared with around $70 before the war with Iran started.
More than 300 killed in Lebanon since ceasefire with Israel, says Health Ministry
At least 380 people have been killed and 1,122 injured in Lebanon since the ceasefire with Israel took effect on April 17, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Tuesday. Of those killed, 108 were first responders.
Health Minister Nasser Al-Din told a press conference that Israel has been targeting emergency and medical personnel, adding that such attacks will continue to be documented.
Israel has repeatedly said its fight is with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, not with the Lebanese government or people.
At least 2,882 people have been killed and 8,768 injured since March 2, when Hezbollah launched attacks at northern Israel days after the beginning of the US-Israeli war with Iran, according to the ministry.
Israel and Hezbollah have since traded fire, despite the subsequent ceasefire that each side has accused the other of violating.
