Here's the latest
• Iran warns US after strikes: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has a “legitimate” right to respond to any “violation” of the ceasefire after the US military carried out what it called “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz.
• War negotiations: The US and Iran are working toward a memorandum of understanding, but disputes over language concerning Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions have held up a deal. President Donald Trump will hold a Cabinet meeting Wednesday at Camp David, a source told CNN.
• Web access: Internet activity in Iran has been partially restored following a monthslong blackout, according to watchdog NetBlocks, after Iran’s president yesterday ordered authorities to restore access.
• In Lebanon: The IDF says it conducted fresh strikes on Lebanon overnight in a further sign Israel is moving to a more aggressive posture in its campaign against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Israeli soldiers in Lebanon conducting ground operations north of “Yellow Line”
Israeli soldiers have begun conducting ground operations beyond the “Yellow Line” — the northern boundary of Israel’s self-declared military security zone in southern Lebanon, an Israeli military official tells CNN.
The official added the goal of these expanded operations — which he defined as “targeted” — is to push Hezbollah’s explosive drone capabilities further away from the border, and thereby “remove direct threats,” amid an increase in fire toward Israeli border communities in recent days.
The line runs east to west a few miles north of the border between Israel and Lebanon, at one point intersecting with the Litani River. Some 55 towns and villages south of the line are under Israeli control.
Israeli forces have largely refrained from operating across the “Yellow Line” and north of the Litani River in recent weeks, following requests from the United States, which is mediating direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.
However, as CNN previously reported, Israel has decided to step up operations against Hezbollah’s drone infrastructure, in moves co-ordinated with the US.
The IDF said Tuesday it struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon overnight and issued extensive evacuation orders to residents of the town of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, warning that anyone near Hezbollah operatives or facilities may be endangering their lives.
Iranian delegation returns from negotiations in Qatar, according to state media
Senior officials from Iran returned to their country on Tuesday after seeing mediators in the Qatari capital of Doha, as ceasefire talks between Tehran and Washington grind on.
The trio — Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the governor of the Central Bank of Iran Abdolnaser Hemmati — “returned to the country a few hours ago,” according to the state-affiliated Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting agency.
Qatari and Iranian diplomats chiefly discussed Iran’s “frozen funds,” the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday. Crippling US sanctions and regional violence have exacerbated an economic crisis in Iran, with Tehran urging the immediate unfreezing of billions of dollars of assets stored in banks overseas. If Tehran and Washington agree to the proposed deal, $24 billion worth of Iranian assets could be released, the semi-official Iranian outlet Tasnim said Tuesday. But a senior US administration official told CNN on Sunday that the unfreezing of Iranian assets will occur only once the Strait of Hormuz has reopened.
Tehran’s delegation held “generally positive” talks in Doha, Tasnim said, as negotiating parties iron out key sticking points in a proposed memorandum to halt the violence set off by US-Israeli strikes in late February.
Trump expected to convene Cabinet meeting at Camp David Wednesday
President Donald Trump is expected to gather his Cabinet Wednesday for a meeting at Camp David, according to a White House official, convening top officials at a high-stakes moment for the US war with Iran.
Talks around a potential peace deal with Iran have intensified in recent days as the president weighs a path to stop the fighting, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and settle negotiations on nuclear matters within 60 days. There is significant political pressure on the White House to resolve the conflict, with consequential midterm elections months away.
The rare offsite meeting is expected to be attended by all Cabinet members, according to the official. The New York Post first reported the meeting. And it comes after significant turnover within the president’s team: Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer have departed and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is expected to end her tenure next month.
This is the first Cabinet meeting since March 26 and marks the 10th time the Cabinet has gathered during Trump’s second term.
The president has visited the highly-restricted Maryland presidential retreat relatively sparingly, just once during his second term and 15 times during his first.
Originally called “Shangri-La,” the facility has been used as a presidential retreat and place to host foreign dignitaries since President Franklin Roosevelt. The tranquil 180-acre camp houses log cabins, an outdoor swimming pool, a one-hole golf course, a shooting range, a bowling alley and walking trails.
“Yeah, Camp David is very rustic, it’s nice, you’d like it. You know how long you’d like it? For about 30 minutes,” Trump said in an interview before taking office in 2017.
These demands from the US and Iran are shaping ceasefire talks
Iran and the United States have signaled they are closing in on an agreement to turn the existing ceasefire that ended weeks of heavy bombing into a longer-lasting settlement.
With each passing day, Iranian and US officials are raising their demands, hostilities are flaring between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, and civilians are being killed — raising the stakes of tenuous negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Here’s what you should know:
- Iranian uranium stocks and enrichment: Iran’s nuclear stockpile was on the cards when a Tehran delegation met Qatari mediators for “generally positive” talks in Doha on Monday, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. Officials in Washington have been using the refrain, “No dust, no dollars,” to describe the stock of nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium that US President Donald Trump demands must be disposed of before meeting Tehran’s financial demands.
- Tehran’s frozen assets: With its economy in deep trouble, Iran is demanding the immediate unfreezing of billions of dollars in assets held in banks overseas. On Tuesday, Tasnim reported that $24 billion worth of Iranian assets could be released if Tehran and Washington agree to the memorandum. Half that sum could be released when the deal is first announced, the Iranian news agency added. But a senior US administration official told CNN on Sunday that the unfreezing of Iranian assets will occur only once the Strait of Hormuz has reopened.
- Israeli campaign in Lebanon: Earlier this month, both Israeli and Lebanese delegations agreed to extend a tenuous truce — which Hezbollah is not party to — by 45 days. Under the terms of the US-led deal, Israel is permitted to conduct “defensive” operations. On Tuesday, an Israeli source told CNN that forces will “expand operations” in Lebanon and “renew operations” in the capital Beirut. The Trump administration has doubled down its support for the Israeli campaign. The US president told Netanyahu he backs the country’s wish to “maintain freedom of action against threats on all fronts, including Lebanon,” an Israeli official told CNN.
Internet connection partially restored in Iran, watchdog says
Metrics show that internet activity in Iran has been partially restored, the internet monitoring group NetBlocks said a short while ago, after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered authorities to restore internet access yesterday.
The partial online restoration comes on day 88 of an internet blackout, NetBlocks said, calling it the “the longest nationwide internet shutdown in modern history.”
Iran began restricting internet access in late December 2025, according to NetBlocks and other monitoring groups, following mass anti-government demonstrations initially driven by surging inflation, currency collapse and a deepening economic crisis.
After those demonstrations, the Iranian regime made progress to allow only a subset of people with security clearance to access the international web, experts said, but Iran again entered a near-total internet blackout after the US and Israel strikes on February 28.
Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s first vice president, wrote on X today that, following Pezeshkian’s proclamation yesterday, “the first step toward free and regulated access to cyberspace has been taken.”
Iran's Revolutionary Guards threaten retaliation after US strikes, as Israel strikes Lebanon
Iran has threatened to retaliate after the US carried out what it described as “self-defense strikes” on Iranian missile launch sites and boats overnight.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what’s been going on so far today:
- The US strikes were carried out in southern Iran “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” US Central Command spokesperson Timothy Hawkins told CNN, adding that CENTCOM “continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.”
- In a statement published after the US strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned retaliation against any ceasefire violations, saying it considers the “right to reciprocal response to be legitimate and certain.”
- The global oil price has risen again today, as the renewed US strikes on Iran curbed optimism that a deal is in sight to end the war.
- Despite the fresh attacks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said talks on an agreement with Iran are being held up by disputes over the wording of the deal, saying there are “disagreements over a word, a sentence.”
- Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that Middle Eastern nations will “no longer serve as shields for US bases.”
- Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon overnight, a further sign Israel is moving to a more aggressive posture in its campaign against the militant group, as we reported yesterday.
- The first Japanese oil tanker to transit the Strait of Hormuz during the war with Iran has arrived in Japan.
- And a tanker reported an external explosion off Oman’s coast this afternoon, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which said that the crew is safe.
CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Mostafa Salem, Aida Karimi, Hanna Ziady, Kathleen Magramo, Junko Ogura and Kara Fox contributed to this reporting.
Israeli military reports 100+ Hezbollah targets struck in Lebanon overnight
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon overnight, a further sign Israel is moving to a more aggressive posture in its campaign against the militant group, as CNN reported on Monday.
Lebanon’s National News Agency says one person, a paramedic, was killed in the latest strikes.
It comes amid an increase in explosive drone launches by Hezbollah targeting Israel’s border villages. The IDF reported further drone launches Tuesday morning, though there were no reports of any injuries. Most schools in Israel’s border areas are now closed in response to the heightened threat.
In a statement Tuesday morning, the Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah weapons storage facilities, command centers and other infrastructure sites in the Bekaa Valley and across southern Lebanon.
An earlier IDF statement on Monday described strikes on 70 Hezbollah targets, including in the city of Tyre on the Mediterranean coast.
Israeli forces have largely refrained from operating north of the Litani river in recent weeks, following requests from the US, which is mediating direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. The US is also negotiating a lasting end to hostilities with Iran, which has reportedly demanded an end to Israeli operations in Lebanon as part of any agreement.
On Monday, an Israeli source told CNN the IDF was poised to set to step up operations against Hezbollah’s drone infrastructure, in moves co-ordinated with the US.
The source also said the IDF is pushing to renew attacks against Hezbollah leaders in Beirut but said plans for any such strikes were awaiting approval from Netanyahu and his cabinet.
Netanyahu under pressure from allies and opponents on Hezbollah threat and US-Iran talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet this evening for the first time since reports emerged of a developing US-Iran agreement, drawing sharp criticism from Israeli officials who privately describe it is a “bad idea.”
While Netanyahu has avoided publicly criticizing US President Donald Trump, two Israeli sources told CNN that in private discussions he has acknowledged having limited influence over Washington’s decision making and the negotiations with Iran.
The emerging deal, as currently understood by Israeli officials, leaves core Israeli concerns about Iran’s nuclear program and its stockpile of enriched uranium unaddressed.
Moreover, Iran is reportedly pushing to reinforce a ceasefire in Lebanon, while Hezbollah has been intensifying its daily drone and UAV attacks on Israeli troops and northern border communities.
Netanyahu is facing mounting pressure both from political rivals and members of his own coalition. Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff now leading a party aiming to replace Netanyahu after the next election, described the situation as “a forced ceasefire, on unfavorable terms for Israel, that endangers residents of the north and IDF soldiers.”
Netanyahu’s far-right political allies, ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, have both called for a more aggressive military response.
Ben Gvir urged Netanyahu to confront Trump and “make it clear that the state of Israel cannot tolerate this,” while Smotrich argued that “a strategic threat is not answered with defense alone, but by changing the rules and the equation.”
“For every explosive drone, 10 buildings in Beirut must fall,” Smotrich said.
Against the backdrop of the criticism, Netanyahu put out a video statement Monday declaring that the IDF will intensify its strikes in Lebanon, following a day of extensive drone fire by Hezbollah.
“We must increase the blows, increase the intensity. We will strike them decisively,” Netanyahu said.
Tanker reports explosion off Oman's coast
A tanker reported an external explosion off Oman’s coast on Tuesday afternoon, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The explosion, 60 nautical miles off the capital city of Muscat, was on the side aft — an area located towards the rear of the vessel — and close to the waterline, the agency said in a statement.
The UKMTO statement added that the vessel and its crew are safe and that the tanker reported that “some bunker fuel” was discharged into the sea.
Authorities are investigating the incident, it said.
Iran warns of retaliation over ceasefire violations after claiming US breached airspace
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed in a statement that its forces downed an MQ-9 Reaper drone and opened fire on an F-35 fighter jet and another drone that that had entered Iranian airspace.
In a statement, the IRGC did not reveal when the incidents took place. Last night, the US military carried out what it called “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC warned in the statement that it will retaliate against any ceasefire violations.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warns against any violation of the ceasefire by the aggressive US military, and considers its right to reciprocal response to be legitimate and certain,” a statement by the group said according to Iranian state-affliliated media.
Iran’s foreign ministry said the US committed a violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region over the past 48-hours, saying there were “repeated naval harassment against Iranian commercial vessels.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will leave no act of aggression unanswered and will not hesitate in defending the Iranian people with the slightest delay,” a statement said.
US and Iranian forces have previously exchanged fire during the ceasefire, and it’s unclear how the attacks will affect the truce.
A look at the US' overnight strikes on Iran
In the early hours of Tuesday morning local time in Iran, explosions were heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
A short while later, US Central Command said it had conducted “self-defense strikes” around the Strait of Hormuz.
Here’s what to know about the overnight strikes:
- Three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, the IRGC said early Tuesday local time citing “sources.” Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, citing witnesses, said similar sounds were also reported in the Persian Gulf near Sirik and Jask.
- Some time later, CENTCOM spokesman Timothy Hawkins told CNN US forces carried out strikes in southern Iran “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” adding that targets included “missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines.”
- When asked about the strikes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that “the straits have to be open, they’re going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open.”
- Later in the day, the IRGC said it had “shot down a US drone and forced a US drone and fighter jet to flee.” It warned “against any violation of the ceasefire by the aggressive US military,” saying it “considers its right to reciprocal response to be legitimate and certain.”
CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq, Zachary Cohen, Kathleen Magramo and Aida Karimi contributed to this reporting.
Restoring Iran’s internet exposes regime’s deep power struggles
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered authorities to begin restoring internet access for the population, ending the longest blackout in any country’s history – but the delayed decision underscores how deeply the Islamic Republic fears unrestricted information access for its citizens.
Iran’s internet governance is highly centralized, with multiple layers of state institutions directly accountable to the supreme leader. At the top is the Supreme Council for Cyberspace, a US-sanctioned body established by decree from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 2012 with 27-members, including some of the regimes most influential figures.
Members like the intelligence minister, the chief justice and senior religious clerics, all of whom hold competing visions of how Iranians should access the internet form the council. Among them are hardline members who once likened Instagram to US-F35 fighter jets, and others who continue to obstruct the restoration of full internet access, fearing the population’s exposure to the outside world.
To bypass that deadlock, Iran’s moderate reformist president formed a parallel task force this month, only to face accusations of attempting to overrule the supreme leader’s council. Even as news of his order to restore internet access emerged last night, it remains unclear whether the directive will be fully enforced.
For now, internet inequality remains deeply entrenched in Iran. Smuggled SpaceX Starlink terminals give a select few direct, unfiltered access to the outside world, expensive VPNs allow a privileged minority to bypass restrictions and a small group of government-approved users receive official access to the open internet.
For the vast majority of Iranians, however, access remains in limbo as they await the decision of a politically divided regime on how they will be permitted to use the internet.
What the US, Iran and Israel have most recently said about talks
Before the US carried out what it called “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats in the early hours of this morning local time, officials from the US and Iran had signaled that talks aimed at reaching a peace agreement were progressing.
While it’s unclear whether the attacks will impact negotiations, here’s what officials have said about their current status:
US
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that talks on an agreement with Iran are being held up by disputes over wording, telling reporters there are “disagreements over a word, a sentence.”
- Yesterday morning, US President Donald Trump said negotiations are “proceeding nicely,” but warned military operations could resume if a deal is not reached.
Iran
- Iran’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday a “degree of understanding” had been reached with the US on many issues, but added that an agreement wasn’t imminent.
- The newly appointed leader of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council vowed however that “there will be no retreat” in his country’s fight against the US and Israel.
Israel
- An Israeli source told CNN yesterday the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is preparing to expand its operations in Lebanon, despite Iran insisting that the country must be included in any peace deal.
- In a video posted yesterday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will “intensify the blows” and “increase the force” used against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
CNN’s Kathleen Magramo, Aileen Graef, Mostafa Salem, Aida Karimi, Issy Ronald, Tal Shalev and Dana Karni contributed to this reporting.
Oil climbs after fresh strikes on Iran, US stock futures rise
The global oil price is rising today, reversing some of yesterday’s losses, as renewed US strikes on Iran curb optimism that a deal is in sight to end the war.
Brent crude climbed 3.3% to $99.4 a barrel in early morning trade, having settled 7% lower on Monday when it looked as though the United States and Iran were close to agreeing a “memorandum of understanding” to stop fighting and lay the foundation for a future deal. Trading volumes were also thinner than usual, given public holidays in the US and UK.
WTI, the US benchmark, was down 3.7% from Friday’s close at $93 a barrel. There was no settlement on Monday, due to the US Memorial Day holiday.
The United States described attacks on Iranian missile launch sites and boats Monday as “self-defensive strikes.” The strikes came hours after Iranian negotiators met with Qatari mediators in Doha for talks in coordination with the US. Iran has not yet retaliated.
“Optimism is still elevated that an agreement can be made to end the war,” Deutsche Bank analysts wrote in a note. “Last night’s targeted action (by the United States) is clearly a warning shot that the ceasefire is fragile though, so we will have to see what the next few days of negotiations bring.”
US stock futures point to a stronger open. S&P 500 futures rose more than half a percent, while Nasdaq futures climbed 0.86%. Equity markets in Europe are mixed. London’s FTSE 100 gained 0.6%, while Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 fell 0.8% and 1% respectively.
Iran's supreme leader says US will no longer have a safe haven in Gulf region
Middle East nations will “no longer serve as shields for US bases,” Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Tuesday.
In an written address to mark the Islamic Hajj season, Khamenei spoke of a “new order” emerging for the Gulf region and the world.
In the message, Khamenei said Israel and its leaders were “approaching the final stages of their wretched existence.”
More than 10 weeks after he was announced as Iran’s new supreme leader following the assassination of his father Ali Khamenei, Iranians have still not seen or heard Khamenei but he has issued several written messages.
Khamenei’s latest message comes as the US and Iran try to settle the wording in a potential deal to bring an end to the war, which began in late February.
Context: The annual Hajj pilgrimage has begun in Saudi Arabia and is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Islam requires every Muslim who is physically and financially able to make the journey to the holy city of Mecca at least once in his or her life.
This year’s Hajj is taking place against the backdrop of the US and Israel’s war with Iran which has ensnared multiple Gulf nations and sparked a historic energy crisis.
First Japanese oil tanker to pass through Strait of Hormuz since war began arrives in Japan
More than 12 weeks after the war with Iran began, the first Japanese oil tanker to transit the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict has arrived in Japan.
Panama-flagged tanker Idemitsu Maru arrived at a pier off Chita City on Honshu – Japan’s largest and most populous Island – on Monday after successfully transiting the Strait of Hormuz in April.
Japan is heavily reliant on oil from the Persian Gulf and has released a historic amount of its vast strategic emergency petroleum stockpiles to cushion the blow of higher oil prices in recent months.
There are still 39 Japan-related vessels stranded in the gulf, including one with Japanese crew members aboard, said Kihara, adding that Japan is proactively making all diplomatic efforts so its vessels can pass through the strait.
The Idemitsu Maru tanker, operated by a subsidiary of major refiner Idemitsu Kosan Co., carried 2 million barrels of crude to Aichi Prefecture, the country’s industrial hub, which will be refined into petroleum products, public broadcaster NHK reported citing the company.
US strikes Iranian targets near Strait of Hormuz as deal hinges on wording disputes. Catch up here
Hours after Iran’s negotiators met in Doha with Qatari mediators for war talks, the US carried out what it called “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz.
US and Iranian forces have previously exchanged fire during the ceasefire and it’s unclear how the attacks will affect negotiations. Iranian officials have yet to comment on the latest US strikes, but Iranian state-linked media have framed them as violations of the ceasefire.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said talks on an agreement with Iran are partly being held up by wordings of the deal, echoing comments from US officials that disputes over language on Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions have held it up.
Here’s what happened on Monday:
- “No dust, no dollars”: Trump laid out his plans for destroying Iran’s enriched uranium, saying it will either be transported to the US, dealt with on-site or taken to another location. Iranian officials have insisted that negotiations on uranium can only begin once a memo ending the war is agreed. This weekend, American officials began using the refrain “No dust, no dollars,” referring to the cache of nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium the US insists must be disposed of before Iran will see financial benefit from the proposed deal.
- Israel to expand Lebanon attacks: In Lebanon, Israel is preparing to expand its attacks against Hezbollah, including in Beirut, an Israeli source said. A US official signaled Washington’s support for Israel’s approach. A ceasefire in Lebanon has been in place for weeks but Israel has carried out regular strikes — mainly in the south — and Hezbollah has also launched attacks.
- Trump pushed Abraham Accords: Trump “mandatorily” requested that Middle Eastern and other countries sign the Abraham Accords after a deal to end the war with Iran is reached. The president said he discussed the accords during calls with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Bahrain. A Saudi source later told CNN the country’s position on the accords has not changed.
- Oil prices fall: Oil prices dropped sharply on Monday after US officials signaled that the US and Iran had edged closer to a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Kevin Liptak, Andrew Carey, Mustafa Qadri, Dana Karni, Charlotte Reck and Kit Maher contributed to this report.
Iran war negotiations down to disagreements over "a word, a sentence," says Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that talks on an agreement with Iran are being held up by disputes over the wording of the deal.
“It’s going to take a couple of days to settle … down to the disagreements over a word, a sentence,” Rubio told reporters on his plane during a trip to India, echoing earlier comments from US officials. “We’re going to have to work through that.”
Rubio’s comments came hours after the the US military carried out what it called “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz.
While Iranian officials have yet to comment on the US strikes, Iranian state-linked media outlets have framed them as a violation of the current ceasefire agreement. US and Iranian forces have previously exchanged fire during the ceasefire.
What are the Abraham Accords?
US President Donald Trump has “mandatorily” requested that Middle Eastern and other countries sign the Abraham Accords after a deal to end the war with Iran is reached.
Here’s what to know about the accords:
The Abraham Accords are a series of deals normalizing relations between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain became signatories of the accords during Trump’s first term in 2020, breaking longstanding positions to become the first Arab states to recognize Israel in a quarter century.
Trump praised the agreements at the time, saying they would “change the course of history,” and marked “the dawn of a new Middle East.”
Morocco and Sudan swiftly followed suit. And Kazakhstan joined the accords last year, though it already had longstanding diplomatic relations with Israel.
Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, helped broker the accords.
Why is Trump talking about the accords now?
Trump said Monday that he discussed the accords during calls with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Bahrain. He said with the “all the work” the US has done to pull a peace deal together, joining the accords should be required.
A Saudi source later told CNN the country’s position on the accords has not changed, and that Riyadh will only normalize relations with Israel once there is an irreversible pathway to a Palestinian state.
A different source told CNN that Trump brought up the accords “in passing” during a call with regional leaders on Saturday and encouraged their countries to join, but did not raise it as a condition of the Iran deal.
And another regional source said that certain countries might be open to joining the accords, but with conditions regarding Israeli actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.
US targets Iranian missile launch sites and boats in "self-defense" strikes as negotiations continue
The US military conducted “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz on Monday amid a ceasefire between the two countries and ongoing negotiations to end the war, according to US Central Command.
“U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” CENTCOM spokesman Timothy Hawkins told CNN in a statement when asked about explosions reported around the Strait of Hormuz.
“Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” he added.
Some background: US and Iranian forces have previously exchanged fire during the ceasefire. In early May, 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.
President Donald Trump previously authorized US forces to respond to Iranian provocations around the key waterway.
