Here's the latest
• Intensified strikes: Iran’s state media reported further attacks Sunday after the US launched a significant new air assault on Iranian military targets overnight, saying it struck about 140 sites. Tehran responded with a wave of attacks targeting US military bases in the region, marking another escalation in the diplomatic breakdown between the countries.
• Gulf nations under fire: After the initial US strikes, allies in the region said they faced a drove of Iranian fire. Kuwait said attacks hit border posts and an oil rig, while Qatar reported injuries from drone interceptions. Oman, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates also said they received fire.
• Strait of Hormuz: The exchange followed what the US said was an Iranian attack on a merchant ship in the waterway, where Washington and Tehran are once again making contradictory claims about the status of marine traffic. The shipping channel is key to Tehran’s leverage in negotiations.
Iranian media reports attacks on multiple sites in southern Iran
Multiple locations in Hormozgan province in southern Iran, including Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas and Hajiabad, have come under attack on Sunday, Iranian official media said.
The reports did not identify who launched the attacks, referring only to an “enemy” attack. CNN has approached US Central Command for comment. The reported attacks come amid ongoing hostilities between Iran and the US.
Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), citing the governor of Qeshm, said 10 to 11 “enemy projectiles” had struck Qeshm Island from Sunday afternoon onward. Hossein Amir Teymouri said all of the sites hit were military targets and that there were no casualties on the island, according to IRNA.
IRNA later reported more sites belonging to Iran’s military facilities in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm and Hajiabad had come under attack.
In a separate update, IRNA said a maintenance technician working for Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran was killed while on duty on Farur Island in Bandar Lengeh county in Hormozgan province , and two of his colleagues were injured.
Hormozgan is located in the far south of Iran, along the strategic coastlines of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Kuwait says drone attacks hit border posts, oil rig as Iran claims Gulf strikes
Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said Sunday that three land border posts in the north of the country were damaged in what it described as a “hostile, criminal attack,” while an offshore drilling rig belonging to the Kuwait Oil Company was also struck by a hostile drone.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s official spokesperson, Staff Colonel Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan, the attacks caused material damage. One worker was injured in the drone strike on the offshore drilling rig, located in Kuwaiti territorial waters, and is receiving the necessary medical care.
The General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army said the armed forces remain on full readiness and are taking “all necessary measures and precautions to maintain the security of the country and the safety of its territories.”
The incidents came after Iran said it had launched attacks on several US military sites across the Gulf early Sunday, according to Iranian state media, following the latest round of US strikes.
Earlier Sunday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Kuwait was among several Gulf countries it attacked as it launched loitering drones targeting US military assets, including a Patriot air defense system.
CNN has been unable to independently verify Iran’s claims of attacks on US military sites and has reached out to US Central Command for comment.
Key mediator Pakistan calls on "all sides" to de-escalate
Pakistan expressed concern today over the recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East after the United States and Iran traded another round of tit-for-tat strikes amid a breakdown in diplomacy.
The country — which has played a key role in mediating peace talks between Washington and Tehran in recent months — is “following with deep concern the recent incidents that are further escalating the regional tensions,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Pakistan urged “all sides to exercise restraint, take immediate steps towards de-escalation,” and uphold the commitments made as part of the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran last month, the ministry said.
US and Iran at odds over status of Strait of Hormuz. Catch up here
The US and Iran are at odds over whether the Strait of Hormuz is open today, with the militaries of both countries issuing conflicting statements on whether vessels can safely traverse the crucial waterway.
Catch up on the latest developments:
- Strait of Hormuz: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced in the early hours of this morning that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, a claim backed by the Iranian authority tasked with overseeing a new protocol for transits through the waterway. However, US Central Command, US President Donald Trump and the Joint Maritime Information Center, which is overseen by the US Navy, have insisted that the waterway is open. Nonetheless, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has reduced to a trickle today, tracking data shows.
- Boat targeted: The IRGC said early this morning that it had fired a warning shot at a vessel trying to use an unauthorized route to cross the Strait of Hormuz. A container vessel was reported damaged near the waterway and its crew was rescued after being forced to abandon ship, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said. One Indian national is missing after a commercial vessel was attacked near the strait, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.
- Strikes continue: After the US military carried out fresh rounds of strikes on Iran, Tehran targeted several US military sites across the Gulf early this morning, Iranian state media reported. Qatar and Kuwait both reported intercepting aerial attacks, while sirens sounded in Bahrain. State media in Oman and Jordan also reported drone and missile attacks. Two adults and a child were injured by falling debris in Qatar, its Interior Ministry said.
- Attempts at diplomacy: Oman has drafted a proposal to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz through two separately controlled routes, a source with knowledge of the talks told CNN. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart, in which “both leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional situation,” according to a readout from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
CNN’s Dalia Abdelwahab, Billy Stockwell, Aida Karimi, Julia Benbrook, Tim Lister, Laura Sharman, Xiaoqian Lin, Kareem El Damanhoury, Ross Adkin, Ibrahim Dahman and Sophia Saifi contributed to this reporting.
"I don't buy it": US ambassador questions earlier claims that Iran's targeting ships was mistake
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz on Sunday cast doubt on a supposed earlier Iranian claim, relayed by a US official, that it had “screwed up” in targeting vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“Are we supposed to believe that some junior officers are going rogue and firing on ships, but yet face no consequences from a dictatorial hierarchy-based entity like the IRGC? I don’t buy it,” Waltz said on ABC.
A US official on Friday claimed Iran admitted in communications with the US that strikes on merchant ships earlier in the week had been a mistake. But on Saturday, Iran “blatantly attacked” another ship in the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Central Command.
“What Iran is doing is in violation of international law,” Waltz said. “Regardless of whether you’re party to some conflict, you cannot start shooting in all directions, attacking your neighbors, attacking civilian shipping, civilian infrastructure, throwing mines and international waterways, and acting like the irresponsible genocidal regime that many have always accused (Iran) of being.”
Despite saying Iran’s leadership is “incredibly difficult to deal with,” Waltz said technical talks between the two sides continue.
President Trump says US hit Iran “very hard last night” and insists Strait of Hormuz is open
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States hit Iran “very hard last night.”
“These people, there’s something wrong with them,” Trump told CNN’s Jake Tapper during a morning interview on the State of the Union show.
“We had a deal with them yesterday,” he said. “They were giving up everything, and then all of the sudden, two hours after that, they hit a ship with a drone.”
The US military said it hit 140 Iranian military targets in its latest strikes, following an attack on a merchant ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz it blamed on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It marks the third round of US strikes in a week and comes after both countries’ leaders issued public threats.
There are conflicting messages when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s authority tasked with overseeing a new protocol for transits through the waterway said today that the passage of vessels is “not possible,” but Trump told CNN “it’s open as far as we’re concerned.”
Iran's strait authority insists transit through Hormuz is "not possible"
Mixed messages surrounding the Strait of Hormuz persist, as Tehran and Washington issue conflicting statements about the passage of ships through the critical waterway.
Iran’s authority tasked with overseeing a new protocol for transits through the waterway said today that the passage of vessels is “not possible,” shortly after US Central Command insisted the strait was open.
The Iranian authority said as soon as “stability and calm are restored, all applications will be reviewed according to the established schedule and the necessary permits will be issued.”
CENTCOM says Strait of Hormuz "open to all vessels," despite Iran declaring it closed
US Central Command has said that the Strait of Hormuz is “open to all vessels,” despite Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announcing earlier today that it had closed the waterway.
“The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway,” CENTCOM wrote in a post on X, adding: “US forces are positioned and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations.”
Earlier today, the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), which is overseen by the US Navy, said that the Omani “southern route” through the Strait of Hormuz remains available for two-way traffic. It also warned, however, that the security threat level in the waterway remains “severe.”
Traffic through the strait has once again dropped following Iran’s announcement, data from maritime tracking agency MarineTraffic showed this morning.
US Embassy in Oman issues "shelter in place" guidance
The US Embassy in Oman issued a “shelter in place” warning today for the Omani governorate of Musandam, which sits on the northeast tip of the Arabian Peninsula next to the Strait of Hormuz, as well as a port city on the Arabian Sea.
Iran targeted the Omani governorates of Musandam and Al Wusta – where the city of Duqm is located – in overnight drone attacks, according to Oman’s foreign ministry.
As a result, Muscat summoned Iran’s ambassador to the country to deliver a “formal note of protest,” the ministry said.
During the meeting, Sheikh Khalid bin Hashel Al Muslahi, Oman’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Administrative and Financial Affairs, expressed Muscat’s dissatisfaction with what he described as Iran’s “irresponsible acts,” the ministry added.
Iran wants sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Oman has rights to the waterway too
Early this morning local time in Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz after firing a warning shot at a vessel it said was attempting to use an unauthorized route to cross the waterway.
However, the Joint Maritime Information Center, which is overseen by the US Navy, said the “southern route” through the Strait of Hormuz, which hugs the Omani coastline, remains open for two-way traffic.
The strait is the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
Both Tehran and Muscat have Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in the waterway.
According to the United Nations, a state has “sovereign rights” to explore, exploit, conserve and manage the natural resources of the waters in its EEZ.
However, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), “ships of all States, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.”
A coastal state should not “hamper the innocent passage of foreign ships through the territorial sea,” it says, except in specific outlined scenarios. It may “take the necessary steps in its territorial sea to prevent passage which is not innocent,” UNCLOS outlines.
CNN’s Dalia Abdelwahab, Tim Lister and Billy Stockwell contributed to this reporting.
Strait of Hormuz traffic drops after Iran declares waterway closed, tracking data shows
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has reduced to a trickle – yet again – after Iran claimed Sunday to have closed the critical waterway, tracking data shows.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said early Sunday the Strait was closed after its forces fired a warning shot at a vessel it said was attempting to use an “unauthorized” route to cross the waterway.
Since then, very few vessels besides a handful of Iran-flagged ships have traversed the chokepoint, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies typically flow, according to data from maritime tracking agency MarineTraffic.
Meanwhile, a Bahamas-flagged laden oil/chemical tanker appears to be attempting to cross the channel using a route closer to the Iranian side of the Strait, MarineTraffic data shows.
Its destination is listed as the port city of Fujairah on the UAE’s eastern coast.
On Sunday, the Joint Maritime Information Center, which is overseen by the US Navy, said the “southern route” through the Strait of Hormuz, which hugs the Omani coastline, remains open for two-way traffic.
But movement remains muted despite the announcement, and Iran’s warning is already having knock-on effects across the region.
Qatar advised owners of maritime vessels earlier today to “temporarily suspend sailing and all forms of maritime activities,” including the use of leisure boats, fishing boats and jet skis, amid the latest flare-up in fighting near the waterway.
Hormuz stalemate won't change unless one side blinks
By now the pattern is familiar. An Iranian drone strikes a ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran’s consent. The United States responds with air strikes against targets on the Iranian coast. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliates with missile and drone attacks on the US’ Gulf allies, claiming it is targeting American military facilities.
This sequence occurs even as Qatari and Pakistani mediators try to keep the diplomatic track alive. Qatar was targeted in the latest Iranian barrage. So was Oman, which on Saturday hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for talks on navigation through the strait.
Hormuz offers Iran critical leverage. So long as it can limit passage through the strait, either through force or the threat of force, it can have an impact on global energy flows.
“This strategic waterway is one of the country’s deterrent assets,” said Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, on Sunday.
Senior US officials said that Iranian negotiators had blamed an “errant part” of Iran’s system for attacks on three ships last week.
That “allows the regime to sustain talks and attempt to reap potential economic benefits while the IRGC continues to enforce Iran’s control over the strait,” the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Saturday.
But “the differences between the negotiators and the IRGC are one of immediate tactical means – negotiations or military action – not strategic ends,” ISW added.
The US demands Iran publicly acknowledge that the strait is open to all commercial traffic and end attacks on vessels. Tehran has rejected any return to the pre-war situation, when there was unfettered freedom of navigation.
Squaring that circle seems beyond either side at present.
“US operations seem focused on imposing costs on Iran rather than fundamentally changing the strategic reality in the strait,” wrote Israeli analyst Danny Citrinowicz Sunday.
It’s difficult to see maritime traffic returning to normal unless “either Iran and Oman reach an arrangement that reduces tensions over navigation, or the United States abandons its effort to route tankers through the southern channel over Iran’s objections,” Citrinowicz said on X.
Southern route through Strait of Hormuz remains open, naval advisory body says
The Omani “southern route” through the Strait of Hormuz remains available for two-way traffic, despite Iran’s claim that the critical waterway is closed, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), which is overseen by the US Navy.
“US forces are prepared to maintain freedom of navigation and safeguard lawful commerce in accordance with international law. The southern route of the Strait remains open,” JMIC said in an advisory note published Sunday.
Despite this announcement, the security threat level in the waterway remains “severe,” JMIC added.
Earlier on Sunday local time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had closed the Strait after firing a warning shot at a vessel attempting to use an unauthorized route to cross the waterway.
Missiles did not reach UAE, authorities say
Missiles fired overnight did not reach the territory of the United Arab Emirates, according to a statement from the country’s National Emergency Crisis Authority (NCEMA.)
“Missile threats detected this morning were outside UAE borders,” the statement said, without mentioning their origin.
“The situation remains stable, with national systems maintaining the highest level of readiness,” NCEMA said.
Earlier Sunday, NCEMA said that “air defenses are now dealing with a missile threat. Please remain in a safe place and follow the warnings and updates on official websites.
One Indian national missing, 10 rescued after attack on ship near Strait of Hormuz
One Indian national is missing after a commercial vessel was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.
So far, ten other nationals have been rescued from the GFS Galaxy, the ministry said, after it was struck off the coast of Oman.
Earlier on Sunday, US Central Command said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had “blatantly attacked” the Cyprus-flagged GFS Galaxy container ship as it transited the Strait of Hormuz.
“A civilian crew member is missing and the vessel is unable to continue the journey due to an onboard fire and significant engineroom damage,” it said.
India’s external affairs ministry condemned the attack and called for “free and unimpeded navigation and commerce” through the waterway, in keeping with international law.
“The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end,” it said in a statement.
Drone, missile attacks reported in Oman and Jordan
State media in Oman and Jordan reported drone and missile attacks on Sunday, as the US and Iran traded another round of strikes.
In Jordan, “three missiles coming from Iranian territory landed at a number of locations within the Kingdom early Sunday morning,” Jordan News Agency quoted a military source as saying.
“No human casualties were reported, and damage was limited to minor material losses,” it said.
Oman News Agency cited a security source as saying sites in Musandam Governorate “were targeted by drones.” It did not say where the drones had come from. The Musandam Governorate juts out into the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, Iranian state media reported that Iranian forces had targeted sites in Oman and Jordan in retaliation for the latest wave of US strikes.
Child wounded by falling debris after Iranian attack on Qatar, ministry says
Two adults and a child were injured by falling debris in Qatar as the country defended against Iranian attacks, its Ministry of Interior said Sunday.
“Three people, including one child, sustained injuries as a result of falling debris from interception operations,” it said in a statement. “The injured are receiving the necessary medical care.”
Iran targeted several US military sites across the Gulf early Sunday, Iranian state media reported, following the latest round of attacks launched by the US.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
The last time Qatar’s Ministry of Interior reported such an incident was four months ago, when it said four people – including a child – were wounded by falling debris during the interception of Iranian missiles.
Iranian foreign minister holds phone call with Pakistani counterpart
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Sunday as tensions flared between Tehran and Washington.
“Both leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional situation,” according to a readout from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It added they agreed to remain in close contact.
Pakistan is a key mediator in negotiations between the US and Iran.
Araghchi traveled to Muscat on Saturday for a meeting with his Omani counterpart. According to a source, Oman has drafted a proposal to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a key sticking point in the conflict.
Mediators have been pushing to revive diplomacy between the US and Iran as they traded fire this week. The leaders of both countries also issued public threats this weekend.
And on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appeared to threaten the US on social media. Posting an excerpt of their 14-point agreement signed in June, he wrote: “The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price.”
Crew rescued from container ship ablaze near Strait of Hormuz
The crew of a container vessel reported damaged near the Strait of Hormuz has been rescued after being forced to abandon ship, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said.
The crew was rescued by local authorities after escaping in a lifeboat, the vessel’s Company Security Officer (CSO) told the maritime organization Sunday morning local time.
Around five hours prior, the UKMTO reported a fire aboard the ship after damaged was sustained to its rear while it was sailing east of Oman.
It comes after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had fired a warning shot at a vessel trying to use an unauthorized route to cross the Strait of Hormuz, and declared the waterway closed.
Earlier, US Central Command said the IRGC had “blatantly attacked” a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and that one crew member was missing. It is not known whether the two reports referred to the same vessel.
US and Iran want to keep "the pot on simmer," analyst tells CNN
Both the United States and Iran are locked in a controlled conflict where both sides do not want to restart full hostilities, a CNN military analyst said Sunday.
Retired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton described the recurring exchanges of fire as a “battle rhythm.”
For Iran, it has been attacking individual ships, Leighton said.
Meanwhile, the US does not want to commit “massive ground forces” or stop Iranian attacks with military means as it sticks to diplomacy, he added.
“This is kind of [what] we find ourselves in, diplomatic dance and military dance, and those synergies are the ones that they’re working through right now,” he said.
