Here's the latest
• Fresh strikes: US Central Command confirmed that Iran fired a ballistic missile toward Kuwait overnight, which was intercepted. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps earlier said it launched an attack targeting an American air base, claiming it was the source of US strikes. According to a US official, those strikes targeted Iranian drones and a launch site around the Strait of Hormuz.
• In Lebanon: Israel targeted a commander in the missile unit of Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to an Israeli source, in the first strike in Beirut in weeks. Dozens of people were killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, and Israel’s military has issued fresh evacuation warnings for more cities in southern Lebanon.
• War talks: US President Donald Trump said he won’t be rushed into a deal, warning that Iran’s efforts to outlast him won’t work because he doesn’t “care about the midterms.”
As Tehran and Washington trade strikes, here are three hurdles to a ceasefire resolution
US and Iranian forces exchanged fire early Thursday, catapulting tenuous talks into further uncertainty and clarifying unmet demands in a proposed ceasefire deal.
Hours before Washington said it attacked Iranian drones and a launch site around the crucial Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump insisted his administration is still “not satisfied” with the terms of the deal.
Tehran also ramped up heated rhetoric piercing the state of negotiations, warning that “any aggression or ceasefire violation” by the US military “will be met with force,” after firing toward an unnamed US base in Kuwait.
Even public messaging about the contents of the proposal, known as the memorandum of understanding (MOU), is underpinned by contradictions – with Washington pushing back against Tehran’s statements that the draft stipulates US forces’ withdrawal and an end to blockades on Iranian ports.
Here are the thorniest issues:
- Iran’s nuclear stockpile: Iranian officials warned they will only discuss nuclear-related clauses once negotiators cement the first phase of a tentative deal. The MOU is not expected to cover the enrichment of uranium – a fuel that can be used to build a bomb – in detail. Officials in Washington have been using the phrase, “No dust, no dollars,” to describe the stock of highly enriched uranium that Trump demands must be thrown away before meeting Tehran’s financial dictates.
- Frozen assets: The US-Israeli bombing on Iran has only exacerbated the economic crisis preceded by crippling sanctions, prompting Tehran to demand the unfreezing of billions of dollars in assets stored in banks overseas. Just on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Iranian delegation claimed officials were “successful” in securing the release of half of Iran’s blocked assets – worth about $12 billion – to be included in the MOU, according to the semi-official agency, Mehr News, citing Saeed Ajorlu.
- The Strait of Hormuz: Parallel US-Iranian blockades on non-allied boats in the Strait of Hormuz have fluctuated global oil prices and trapped tens of thousands of seafarers along the key waterway. So far, authorities in Tehran have indicated they ultimately intend to maintain a greater degree of control over passage through the strait than before the war. But on Thursday, the US sanctioned Iran’s newly created body to force shippers to comply with its rules.
Rubio and Pakistani counterpart to meet tomorrow in Washington, DC, Pakistan says
Pakistan said its Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC, tomorrow to discuss “regional and global developments,” including Islamabad’s recent efforts to promote peace.
Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator between the US and Iran in recent months during the war in the Middle East, playing a leading role in negotiating a temporary ceasefire in April.
During the official trip, the pair will “review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said today. The minister will depart for Pakistan’s capital Islamabad later tomorrow.
CENTCOM cites “egregious ceasefire violation” after previously downplaying Iranian provocations
Pretty much ever since the ceasefire began, the Trump administration has strained to downplay provocative actions from Iran, in an apparent effort to hold together the truce.
But the administration’s response Thursday was different. For once, it directly accused Iran of violating the ceasefire — and used pretty strong language.
A statement from US Central Command accused Iran of an “egregious ceasefire violation” and cited “unjustified Iranian aggression.”
“This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.
It added: “U.S. Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression.”
As I wrote earlier this week, the administration’s reaction to previous provocations conspicuously avoided such harsh language.
After an exchange of fire earlier this week, Iran issued a defiant response accusing the US of violating the ceasefire. But CENTCOM quickly assured the ceasefire was “ongoing,” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to strongly rebuke Iran when asked twice about the situation.
Similarly, early this month after a series of Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on US forces, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine called it “low-level kinetics” and said it was “below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth even suggested what was happening in the strait was distinct from the actual war.
The careful rhetoric seemed to betray the administration’s desire to avoid resuming large-scale hostilities and to cut a deal. But that also risked diluting the administration’s leverage in peace talks.
Middle East nations express solidarity with Kuwait after missile attack
As US Central Command confirms that Iran fired a ballistic missile toward Kuwait overnight, many countries in the Middle East have been sharing messages of support for the Gulf nation.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier today it reserves the right to take “any and all necessary measures” to defend its territory, while branding the attack a “dangerous escalation.”
Catch up on what countries in the region are saying:
- Saudi Arabia condemned what it called a “hostile missile and drone attack” on Kuwait, without directly naming Iran. “The Kingdom emphasizes its categorical rejection of any violation of the sovereignty of states and any attempt to threaten the security and stability of the region,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
- Qatar said it considered the attack on Kuwait a “blatant violation” of the country’s sovereignty and a “flagrant breach of international law.” It said de-escalation is needed to “restore regional and international security and stability.”
- Jordan also said it rejected Iran’s “brutal” attack and affirmed its support for all measures taken by Kuwait to protect its “sovereignty, security and the safety of its citizens and residents.”
- Bahrain came out in support of Kuwait while expressing its “strong condemnation” of the Iranian attack, according to the Bahrain News Agency. The country’s foreign ministry also praised the “readiness” of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces.
- The United Arab Emirates said the “terrorist attacks” on Kuwait constituted a “flagrant violation” of the country’s sovereignty. It said it condemned such attacks in the “strongest terms.”
Gas volatility persists, with US prices falling by most in any day since November 2008
Gas prices remain high — but they fell 3.3 cents on Thursday, the biggest single-day drop since the 2008 financial crisis.
The national average for regular gas dropped to $4.43 a gallon, the lowest level since May 1, according to AAA.
The drop reflects the recent plunge in oil and gasoline futures in recent days as traders bet on a US-Iran deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
That exceeds any decline during the pandemic in 2020 and marks the biggest one-day drop on AAA data since November 22, 2008, amid the Great Recession.
The national average has now declined by almost 14 cents since hitting near four-year highs of $4.56 a gallon just last week.
To note: However, it’s too early to signal the all-clear on the energy crisis. In fact, oil and gasoline futures both rebounded on Thursday as new fighting in the Middle East underscores the fragile nature of the ceasefire.
The situation remains volatile, and markets have been on a roller coaster ride in recent weeks.
“We could get one headline and crude oil would be back up $5 a barrel,” said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.
Despite the recent declines, gas is 49% more expensive than before the war started, when the national average was $2.98 a gallon. Gas, which had never been above $4 a gallon during either of President Donald Trump’s two terms before the Iran war, has now been stuck above that level for 59 straight days.
Since the war started, there have been 19 days where gas prices rose by more than 3.3 cents.
Why Trump’s threats against Oman are so bizarre
US President Donald Trump’s threat to “blow up” Oman baffled observers across the political spectrum in Washington, targeting one of America’s oldest Arab allies.
Oman is the longest continuously independent state in the Arab world and was the first Gulf Arab country to formalize relations with the United States in 1833. For the past 15 years, Muscat has negotiated prisoner releases with Iran on Washington’s behalf and hosted backchannel talks between the two adversaries. Amid Cold War tensions and in the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution, Oman became the first Gulf state to seal a military access agreement with the US in 1980.
Dubbed the “Switzerland of the Middle East,” Muscat has long pursued a fiercely independent foreign policy shaped by its history and geography. Its strategic location on the Arabian Sea and partial control of the Strait of Hormuz helped make it a regional power in the 19th century, with one of the area’s most formidable navies. But its position also exposed it to repeated invasions and interference from regional powers, including the Persians and the Saudis, as well as foreign-backed insurgencies at home.
Muscat’s relations with Iran were historically cordial but cautious. Unlike some neighboring Gulf states that became hubs for Iranian business and migration, Oman maintained a quieter relationship with Tehran focused largely on diplomacy, helping turn the country into a trusted intermediary between the two adversaries.
But Oman’s delicate balancing act became more complicated this year. One day before the US-Israeli attack on Iran in February, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyed Badr Albusaidi – who had been mediating talks between Tehran and Washington – appeared on American television insisting that negotiations had made “substantial progress” and that a deal was “within reach.”
Since the conflict began, Oman has emerged as one of the region’s strongest critics of the war, with Albusaidi warning that Washington had “lost control of its own foreign policy”. Throughout the fighting, Muscat remained engaged with Iran, the US and regional powers in efforts to revive diplomacy, even as strikes linked to the war hit Omani territory – making Trump’s public threats against Oman all the more extraordinary.
Israel targets Hezbollah missile commander, source says, in first Beirut strike in weeks
Israel targeted a commander in Hezbollah’s missile unit on Thursday afternoon, according to an Israeli source, in the first strike in Beirut in weeks.
The strike comes amid a broadening wave of Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would deepen its offensive in Lebanon.
The strike is the first in Beirut since early May, when Israel said it killed the commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, Ahmed Ali Balout, in the southern suburbs of the capital city.
The strike on Thursday afternoon was coordinated with the United Sates, the Israeli source told CNN.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had been pushing to renew strikes on Beirut in response to Hezbollah’s steady barrage of explosive drone attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. But the US had largely barred Israel from attacking Beirut as the White House tried to maintain a fragile ceasefire and push forward a diplomatic track toward a broader peace agreement.
Iranian supreme leader emphasizes “national unity” in latest written message
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamanei praised “unprecedented cohesion” after the US and Israel first launched a lethal military campaign on the country – calling in a written statement for “even greater efforts to preserve the unity” of the population.
“The true essence and inner strength of the Iranian people – in faith, hope, and action – have been proved to both friends and enemies,” Khamenei said in a written message attributed to the supreme leader posted on the semi-official Fars news agency on Thursday.
The elusive leader has not been seen in public since he was ordained as the country’s highest spiritual leader in March – after his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, was killed by US-Israeli strikes on Tehran. Instead, Mojtaba Khamenei has solely published written memos.
In the latest purported message, he sought to present Iran as having emerged resilient to the US-Israeli military campaign, prizing “national solidarity,” warning against “meaningless political disputes” and emphasizing “reconstruction” efforts – after weeks of bombing destroyed health centers, schools and heritage sites.
US-Israeli bombing has also fractured the highest echelons of Iranian leadership and opened a power vacuum. In his statement on Thursday, Khamenei called on lawmakers to “deepen and accelerate legislation and oversight in order to lay the groundwork for Iran’s future.”
“The seat of parliamentary representation should be regarded as a frontline trench in the country’s path toward progress,” he added.
At the same time, indirect talks between Tehran and Washington to end hostilities and achieve a definitive resolution have so far stalled – as key demands from both parties remain unmet.
Iranian missile targeted Kuwait, CENTCOM confirms
US Central Command confirmed today that Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait overnight, which it said was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. The missile was launched at 10:17 p.m. ET, according to CENTCOM.
Washington and Tehran exchanged military strikes overnight, hours after US President Donald Trump vowed to seal a favorable deal to end the war amid a fragile ceasefire.
The US military carried out strikes targeting a site around the Strait of Hormuz that posed a threat to US forces and commercial traffic, according to a US official. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched an attack targeting a US air base, which they said was the source of the US strikes.
US Central Command added that all drones were successfully intercepted by US forces, which also “prevented a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas.”
Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today it reserves the right to take “any and all necessary measures” to defend its territory, while branding the attack a “dangerous escalation.”
CNN’s Dalia Abdelwahab contributed reporting.
UN "alarmed" by impact of Israel's military action in Lebanon
The United Nations said today it is “deeply alarmed” by the impact of Israel’s escalating military action in Lebanon, after dozens of deaths including children were reported by Lebanese authorities.
The UN also said “preliminary information” indicates that numerous civilians, including women and children, are among the casualties of the latest Israeli strikes. It called for civilians and civilian infrastructure to be protected.
The statement came as Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes killed at least 34 people and wounded 77 others on Wednesday, in one of the deadliest days since the ceasefire in the country began back in April.
Watch more on the intensifying attacks:
Multiple videos have been circulated online of airstrikes hitting Lebanon as Israel announce that they are deepening their operations in the country. CNN’s Oren Liebermann reports.
Lebanon says dozens killed in Israeli strikes, as children reported among casualties
The Lebanese Health Ministry said Israeli strikes killed at least 34 people and wounded 77 others on Wednesday, in one of the deadliest days since the ceasefire in Lebanon took effect back in April.
The attacks came as the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation warnings for more cities in southern Lebanon, while continuing to strike what it said were Hezbollah targets.
Attacks have continued today, with at least six people, including two children, killed in an Israeli attack in the town of Adloun, according to the health ministry. Lebanon’s state-run NNA news agency said the casualties were part of a family trying to “flee at dawn from the threatened villages to a safe place.”
Other deadly Israeli strikes were also reported earlier today in the southern Lebanese cities of Tyre and Sidon, the health ministry said.
CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.
In recent days, Israel has issued several more evacuation warnings for areas in southern Lebanon, including Tyre. The warning to residents in Tyre appeared to be the largest ever issued for the coastal city.
The Israeli military also issued what appeared to be the first evacuation warning for the city of Nabatieh, which is north of the Litani River.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday it had carried out strikes against approximately 550 sites in Lebanon that it described as Hezbollah targets since the beginning of the week.
CNN’s Duarte Mendonca contributed reporting.
Oil prices rebound, stocks fall as US-Iran ceasefire takes strain
Oil prices are rising today, reversing yesterday’s losses, after the United States and Iran traded fresh strikes in the early hours, knocking hopes for an imminent deal to end the war as fraught negotiations continue.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, climbed 2.5% to $96.63 a barrel shortly before 5 a.m. ET, after falling 5.31% yesterday. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, rose by a similar margin to $90.93 a barrel, having slid nearly 6% on Wednesday.
“Oil prices… show there is still a clear risk premium attached to the conflict, especially while shipping through the Strait (of Hormuz) and Iran’s nuclear program remain unresolved sticking points,” Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown wrote in a note.
The White House on Wednesday dismissed Iranian reports that a memorandum of understanding being negotiated would lift the US blockade of Iranian ports in exchange for the reopening of the strait, with tanker traffic returning to normal within a month.
The US Treasury has also pushed back on Iran’s attempts to formalize its control over the strait by adding Tehran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority to a sanctions list.
S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq futures point to a modestly weaker open, taking their cue from equity markets in Europe and Asia, which are down almost everywhere except in China.
Iran expresses solidarity with Oman after Trump threatens nation over Strait of Hormuz
Iran said today it stands in “solidarity” with Oman after US President Donald Trump threatened to strike the nation if it attempts to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz with Tehran.
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned the “threatening rhetoric of American officials against Iran and some other regional countries,” and expressed solidarity with the “friendly and brotherly country of Oman,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Trump said on Wednesday the waterway will be “open to everybody” and that the US will “watch over it.” He also warned Oman not to interfere, saying: “Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow ‘em up.”
Remember: Iran has previously said the management of the strait has nothing to do with the US but would be coordinated with Oman.
Baqaei also “strongly condemned” new US strikes on the port city of Bandar Abbas, calling them “aggressive actions against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Iran.” A US official said Washington’s actions were measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire.
In retaliation to the US action, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched an attack targeting an unnamed US base in the region.
Israeli soldier killed in Hezbollah drone attack, IDF says
An Israeli soldier was killed and two reservists were wounded on Wednesday in a Hezbollah attack in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
Sergeant Rotem Yanai, 20, was named by the IDF as the soldier who died in the explosive drone attack.
Eleven IDF soldiers have died since the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel was announced on April 16, with seven of those people being killed by explosive drones.
The Israeli military has intensified its operation targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon in recent days. An IDF official told CNN earlier this week that the goal was to push Hezbollah’s explosive drone capabilities further away from Israel’s border.
Early Thursday, Israel launched fresh strikes on the Lebanese city of Tyre, north of the zone occupied by Israeli forces.
US and Iran exchange attacks as Israel strikes Lebanon. Here's what to know
The US and Iran exchanged military strikes early Thursday, hours after President Donald Trump vowed to seal a favorable deal to end the war amid fluid negotiations.
The US carried out strikes on Iranian drones and launch facilities near the Strait of Hormuz, an official said. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched an attack targeting an American air base they say was the source of the US strikes.
Here’s what we know about the US and Iran attacks:
- Around the same time Iran said its attack targeting an unnamed US base was launched, Kuwait’s Army reported its air defenses were intercepting “hostile” drones and missiles, though Kuwait did not state the origin of the attacks.
- The US strikes hours before saw four Iranian drones shot down and US forces also struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone, according to a US official.
- Iran’s military had earlier fired “warning” shots at four vessels that tried to transit the Strait of Hormuz, forcing them to turn around, state-linked media outlets reported.
- The fresh US action marks the second time the week the US military has launched strikes on Iranian targets around the strait. The US has cast both sets of strikes as being within the bounds of the ceasefire, but Iran condemned the earlier attacks as a violation of the ceasefire and the IRGC had warned that it would retaliate against any violations.
Israel also launched fresh attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon early Thursday, hours after Lebanon saw its deadliest day since a ceasefire with Israel began.
Here’s the latest from Lebanon:
- The Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah in Tyre, north of the zone occupied by Israeli forces. Lebanon’s state-run NNA news agency also reported a deadly missile strike on an apartment building in Sidon, Lebanon’s third largest city.
- Israel has intensified its operations in Lebanon in recent days, including strikes against over 150 sites in 24 hours.
- Israel agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon last month, though fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has continued on a near-daily basis.
- Lebanese health authorities say at least 3,269 people have been killed in that period with at least 9,840 wounded.
CNN’s Adam Cancryn, Kathleen Magramo, Isaac Tellechea, Oren Liebermann, Zachary Cohen and Maureen Chowdhury contributed to this report.
US sanctions target Iran's Strait of Hormuz authority
Iran’s newly created body to force shippers to comply with its rules around the Strait of Hormuz has been added to a US Treasury sanctions list.
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority has been placed on the Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals list, which will generally prohibit US persons from dealing with it.
The Treasury said the creation of the authority was a new attempt by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to “monetize its campaign of state-sponsored terror by extorting vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” in a statement on Wednesday.
Iran has been trying to implement a new protocol for transiting the Strait of Hormuz since effectively closing the critical waterway after the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28.
The organization was established on May 5 as a “legal body and official representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran responsible for issuing permits and regulating maritime traffic” through the strait, the Iranian state-linked Nour News outlet said.
Some background: This month, Tehran laid out a set of new rules for vessels seeking to transit the strait, according to a document seen by CNN, pressing ahead with efforts to formalize control over the waterway in defiance of US warnings.
Entitled “Vessel Information Declaration,” the document is an application form issued by the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) and must be completed by all transiting vessels to ensure safe passage. It was shared with CNN by Lloyd’s List and another shipping industry source who wished to remain anonymous.
CNN’s Eleni Giokos and Tim Lister contributed to this report.
US says Iranian media reports on a draft deal are false. Here's the latest on negotiations
Fresh strikes launched by both the US and Iran are a test of their fragile truce, and the negotiations inching toward a deal to end the war.
Here’s the latest on the talks:
- President Donald Trump said he won’t be rushed into a deal and warned that Iran’s efforts to outlast him won’t work because he doesn’t “care about the midterms.”
- Trump said the strait will be “open to everybody” and that the US will “watch over it,” adding that those terms are part of negotiations. He also warned Oman not to intervene and to “behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow ‘em up.”
- Trump also suggested that a deal could hinge on a host of Middle Eastern nations agreeing to join his Abraham Accords framework, in which some Arab neighbors have normalized ties with Israel.
- The White House has pushed back on Iranian state media reports about a draft of the memorandum of understanding, calling it a “complete fabrication.” According to a report on Iranian state television, the memo would call for US military forces to withdraw from the vicinity of Iran and lift the blockade of Iranian ports.
Oman joins the list of countries Trump has threatened to attack
As president, Donald Trump has racked up a list of countries he’s both threatened to attack — and actually attacked.
Trump added a new entry to that list on Wednesday, threatening to strike Oman if it tries to control the Strait of Hormuz along with Iran.
He’s launched strikes in seven countries in his second term — Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen — after also attacking some of those countries in his first term. That count doesn’t include the strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
Here are some stats that show how militant Trump has been:
- 1 out of 13 countries: That’s how many Trump has threatened or attacked so far: 15 out of the nearly 200 countries in the world.
- 1 out of 11 people: Those countries account for one out of every 11 people in the world. That means one out of every 11 people on the planet has been at least somewhat worried that Trump could initiate a military strike on their country.
- 5 countries in the Middle East: Trump has now threatened or targeted five countries in the Middle East alone. That’s five out of fewer than 20 total countries in the Middle East.
- 4 continents: Trump’s threats and strikes have included countries on four of the world’s six populous continents: Africa, Asia, North America and South America.
- 5 potential targets for imperialism: Of the 15 countries he’s struck or threatened, he’s identified five of them as possible additions to the United States: Canada, Cuba, Greenland, Panama (specifically, the Panama Canal) and Venezuela.
Trump says he won't be rushed into a deal with Iran
President Donald Trump vowed to strike a favorable deal to end the war with Iran, warning that the regime’s efforts to outlast him won’t work because “I don’t care about the midterms.”
President Trump in a Cabinet meeting Wednesday vowed to strike a favorable deal to end the war with Iran, warning that the regime’s efforts to outlast him won’t work because “I don’t care about the midterms.”
