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Today's key developments
• New strikes: The US military says it has launched a round of airstrikes against Iran to “swiftly punish” it for killing two American service members in an attack in Jordan. Saturday marks the eighth night in a row of US strikes against Iran.
• About the US casualties: The deaths were the first US military fatalities caused by Iranian fire since March. Another service member is missing in action after the attack, according to US Central Command.
• Ceasefire in tatters: Tehran says it is suspending its commitments to the initial agreement reached with Washington last month, and Iran’s supreme leader derided US President Donald Trump’s signature as “worthless” in a new statement. After a week of renewed bombing, the Trump administration has offered little clarity on the path forward for its military campaign
Multiple explosions reported in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, Iranian media say
Explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island early Sunday local time, Iranian state-run news agency IRNA reported, citing local residents.
Several locations on Qeshm Island appeared to have been hit, Tasnim news agency said, citing residents on the island, located in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tasnim said US planes had targeted Qeshm multiple times in recent days and had damaged “parts of the island and its infrastructure.”
IRNA reported that multiple explosions were also heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas.
Both locations have been the targets of US attacks as conflict flares again between Washington and Tehran.
US launches new airstrikes to "swiftly punish" Iran after service members killed
The US military on Saturday said it began launching new airstrikes against Iran to “swiftly punish” it for killing American service members.
“The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night,” US Central Command said in a post on X.
CENTCOM announced earlier today that two US service members were killed and one is missing in action, marking the first American military fatalities from Iranian fire since March.
US reports its first military deaths from Iranian fire in months. Here's what we know
It’s been a week of renewed bombing in the Middle East, and there’s no sign the fighting will de-escalate soon.
Iran says it’s suspending its commitments under the initial agreement reached with the United States last month, and the country’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called US President Donald Trump’s signature “worthless and unreliable” in a new statement Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has offered little clarity on how long the renewed military campaign may last.
Here’s what else you should know:
- Military fatalities: Two US service members were killed and one is missing in action after Iranian strikes in Jordan, US Central Command announced Saturday, marking the first American military fatalities from Iranian fire since March. Four other service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan but have since been discharged, according to CENTCOM.
- Trump’s response: Trump has yet to issue a public statement on the service members’ deaths, but told NewsNation: “We hate to see it happen. It’s in service to our country.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also acknowledged the news in a post on X, writing, “Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve.”
- White House summit: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has arrived in Washington ahead of talks on Tuesday with Trump at the White House, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency. The US-Iran agreement stipulated an end to the fighting in Lebanon, but clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants continue there.
- Gas prices: The average price for a gallon of gas in the United States inched up Saturday to just below $4, according to data from AAA. Gas prices have ticked higher as oil prices climb due to a slump in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Naval blockade: The US naval blockade on Iranian ports remains in effect, according to CENTCOM, which said five commercial vessels have been redirected and one has been disabled since it reimposed the measure.
- US cautions citizens: The State Department has issued a worldwide advisory telling Americans, particularly those in the Middle East, to “exercise increased caution” as the war continues. It last issued an advisory of this nature in March.
CNN’s Logan Schiciano, Mitchell McCluskey, Adam Pourahmadi, Auzinea Bacon, Aleena Fayaz and Tim Lister contributed reporting.
"A very sad thing": Trump reacts to deaths of US service members
President Donald Trump told NewsNation on Saturday that the deaths of two US service members in Jordan were “a very sad thing.”
“We hate to see it happen. It’s in service to our country,” Trump told NewsNation.
The president spent Saturday at his property in Bedminster, New Jersey, and has yet to issue a public statement on the latest US casualties.
Lebanon says its president has arrived in Washington for talks with Trump
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived in the United States on Saturday ahead of talks with President Donald Trump at the White House, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.
Aoun landed at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, DC, and held a meeting with Nada Mouawad, the Lebanese ambassador to the US, and diplomatic staff, the statement said.
The presidency said Aoun is scheduled to begin official meetings Sunday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, then meet with Trump on Tuesday. He will also hold a series of meetings with senators and administration officials, according to the statement.
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.
Remember: The memorandum of understanding reached by the US and Iran last month had aimed to end the fighting in Lebanon as part of a wider ceasefire plan.
Despite that initial agreement — and US-brokered ceasefires between the Israeli and Lebanese governments — fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah has continued.
Meeting in Washington last month, Israel and Lebanon reached an agreement that requires Israeli forces to withdraw from two areas in southern Lebanon ahead of further negotiations.
This post has been updated to note Aoun’s arrival in the US.
CNN’s Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak, Mostafa Salem, Oren Liebermann, Sean Lyngaas, Charbel Mallo and Harmeet Kaur contributed reporting.
State Department advises caution to Americans worldwide as war escalates
The State Department on Saturday issued a worldwide caution, advising Americans, particularly those in the Middle East, to “exercise increased caution,” as the war between the US and Iran continues.
“Due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation. We remind Americans in the region of the continued need for caution,” the State Department said in a social media post. “U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted. Groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and/or Americans throughout the world.”
Saturday’s alert comes after the US military announced the death of two service members, with another missing in action, as a result of Iranian strikes in Jordan.
The State Department last issued an advisory of this nature in March.
US gas prices climb to just below $4 a gallon
The average price for a gallon of gas in the United States inched up Saturday to a fraction of a penny below $4, according to data from AAA.
The $3.992 average price is a little more than a cent above yesterday’s average and 11 cents higher than a week ago. US gas prices are 34% higher since the start of the war in Iran.
Gas prices have ticked higher as oil prices climb due to a slump in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Both the US and Iran agreed in mid-June to reopen the critical strait, through which about 20% of the world’s oil flows, as part of a 60-day ceasefire. But hostilities have resumed and Washington and Tehran remain in a standoff around the region’s waterways, leaving oil shipments effectively halted.
On Friday, Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 4.6% to roughly $88 a barrel. That’s a 16% increase from last week, when Brent was about $76 a barrel. US crude increased 4.5% to $82.49 a barrel.
Gas prices peaked at $4.56 a gallon in late May, when Brent prices closed above $100 a barrel.
Meanwhile, the amount of oil in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve has plunged to its lowest levels since 1983.
A look at the divisions within Iran, where hardliners warn of a "coup"
As Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian walked alongside the coffin of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran last week, some of the black-clad mourners chanted directly at him: “Death to the compromiser.”
Not far from that site, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s top diplomat who negotiated a ceasefire with the Trump administration, was forced to flee the funeral after a mob pelted him with rocks and accused him of being a “traitorous sellout.”
The hostility directed at top officials during the funeral reflects a theory that has been gaining traction within Iran’s most radical factions for months: that Iran’s wartime leaders who negotiated and signed the agreement with Washington are staging a soft coup against the Islamic Republic and its revolutionary ideals.
The hardline factions that attended the funeral in large numbers believe that instead of avenging Khamenei’s killing, Iranian officials have surrendered by signing an agreement that defies the orders of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son and successor. But Khamenei has remained hidden from public view, yet to visibly assert his authority even as officials negotiate or govern in his name.
Hardliners have accused Iran’s visible leadership — those running and representing the country as Khamenei remains in hiding — of plotting to consolidate power by suspending parliament, defying his orders in negotiations and attempting to disperse the nightly street rallies that had become a potent power base for fundamentalists.
Read more of CNN’s reporting on divisions inside Iran.
Two US service members killed, one missing following Iranian strikes
Two US service members were killed and one is missing in action, the military announced Saturday, marking the first American military fatalities from Iranian fire since March.
“On July 17, two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing in action,” US Central Command said in a social media post.
Four additional American service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan but have since been discharged, according to CENTCOM. Other personnel sustained minor injuries and have returned to duty.
CENTCOM said it will withhold the identities of the fallen service members until 24 hours after their next of kin are notified.
After 7 days of strikes on Iran, few clues on how long US attacks will last
In the week since the US renewed daily strikes on Iran and reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports, the Trump administration has offered little clarity on how long the latest military campaign may last and its objective after a fragile truce was ruptured.
Behind the scenes, President Donald Trump has been presented options for expanding the operation further as the military seeks ways to intensify efforts to loosen Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz. But Iran has shown no willingness to cede control of the critical waterway.
In public comments, Trump has signaled he intends to escalate the strikes, including threats on civilian infrastructure and potentially energy targets as he has downplayed the length of the hostilities. “We were in Vietnam for 19 years. We’re here for four months, so I think we’ve done a lot,” the president told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins this week.
Trump on Tuesday told Fox News the strikes would “continue until I say it’s enough,” and in a primetime speech on Thursday in which Trump barely mentioned Iran, the president said, “you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly.”
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance — the administration’s lead negotiator with Iran — has suggested that military force alone won’t be enough to fully dismantle Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz.
“You can bomb them, you can take away their radar, you can take away some of their drones and some of their missiles, but it’s just too easy to fire at ships in the straits,” he said in a podcast interview on Tuesday. “So, you’ve got to actually be willing to talk and to try to figure out the problem.”
Ryan Crocker, a former US ambassador to several Middle East countries, echoed the vice president’s sentiment, telling CNN’s Elex Michaelson today that bombing Iran “into submission” will not work.
Iran's supreme leader says Trump's signature is "worthless and unreliable"
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Saturday that US President Donald Trump’s signature is “worthless and unreliable” after repeated violations of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran.
Khamenei’s remarks were made in a written statement carried by state media. The Supreme Leader has not appeared in public since the war began.
In the statement, Khamenei admonished the US for carrying out strikes as the country held a funeral procession for his father, the former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei added that Iran will have “unforgettable lessons” to teach the US for seeking to “fuel war and incur even heavier costs.”
“The bravery of the fighters of Islam and the courage of the people of Iran’s southern region in recent days have demonstrated examples of those lessons,” he said.
He also addressed the Iranian people, encouraging them to continue to trust government officials.
“The enemy must not receive any sign of weakness from us,” Khamenei said.
Middle East reels as conflict widens, with 12 Iranians reported killed in past day
The Middle East is reeling as the US-Iran conflict intensifies. The US has continued to attack areas across Iran, and Tehran has targeted American allies in the region.
A US strike on Iran damaged a desalination plant in the south of the country, according to the deputy governor of Hormozgan province, leaving 20 villages without water. The US military has yet to respond to the claim.
Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said Iranian attacks hit a power generation and water desalination plant, causing a fire.
If you’re just joining us, here are some of the latest developments:
- At least 12 people have been killed by US strikes in Iran in the last day, according to the Iranian Health Ministry, raising the total death toll to 50 since this latest phase of the war began.
- In light of the renewed fighting, Tehran has suspended its commitments under the initial agreement reached last month with the US, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Khazem Gharibabadi.
- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that those who attack Iran will be met with the same force, quoting the Quran in its statement.
- The US has bolstered its fleet of refueling aircraft in Israel as part of adjustments to its posture in the Middle East, an Israeli military official said.
- Kuwaiti authorities reported several injuries and significant damage to a “vital” site in the oil sector following repeated Iranian attacks. The country’s Civil Defense department said falling debris had also caused three separate fires in residential areas, which have been extinguished.
- And countries across the region have condemned Iran’s strikes in new statements, including from the Kuwaiti, Jordanian, Qatari, Emirati, Egyptian, Saudi, Syrian and Palestinian Foreign Ministries.
This post has been updated with additional reports from around the region.
CNN’s Jessie Yeung, Adam Pourahmadi, Issy Ronald, Tim Lister, Sophie Tanno, Eugenia Yosef, Ibrahim Dahman and Eyad Kourdi contributed to this reporting.
What to know about Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which has vowed to counter US attacks
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that those who attack Iran will be met with the same force, as it launched strikes on American allies in the Middle East region following a fresh wave of US attacks.
Here’s a closer look at the Revolutionary Guards:
What is the IRGC? The IRGC is an elite wing of the Iranian military, established in the aftermath of Iran’s revolution in 1979 as a parallel security institution to the national army. The group’s goal was to protect the revolutionary government and its leaders, although it grew to be seen as a deep state more powerful than the army and one with a vast business empire.
What do they do? The Revolutionary Guard chief reports directly to the supreme leader, now Mojtaba Khamenei. The IRGC holds deep influence over domestic politics and the economy, with interests extending to and beyond the construction, telecommunications, auto and energy industries.
In 2009, its Basij subgroup cracked down on anti-government demonstrations and helped secure the position of hardline then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Designated “terrorists”: US President Donald Trump officially designated the IRGC a terrorist group in 2019. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council then declared the US a “state sponsor of terrorism” and American troops operating in the region as “terrorist groups,” according to IRNA, Iran’s state-run news agency.
US allies in the region also consider the Revolutionary Guards a major security threat, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia adding the IRGC to their terror lists in 2018.
The European Union declared the group a terrorist organization this year after Iran’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests, while the United Kingdom designated the IRGC a national security threat earlier this week.
CNN’s Leila Gharagozlou, Adam Pourahmadi, Nadeen Ebrahim, Tamara Qiblawi, Sophie Tanno and Catherine Nicholls contributed to this report.
Iran "suspending" commitments under ceasefire, senior official says
Iran has suspended its commitments under the deal reached with the United States a month ago, deputy foreign minister Khazem Gharibabadi said.
The memorandum of understanding between the two sides ended weeks of fighting and opened space for detailed talks but has collapsed under exchanges of fire between Iran and the US.
“We were in negotiations. Unfortunately, it was the Americans themselves who, in fact, took these aggressive actions, in violation of their own commitments,” Gharibabadi told Iran’s state broadcaster on Saturday.
As a result, “We have suspended all of our commitments and are, in fact, no longer implementing them,” he said.
His remarks are another sign that negotiations between Iran and the US, through the mediation of Qatar and Pakistan, are moribund.
Last week, US President Donald Trump said he thought that the ceasefire was “over” after an Iranian drone attack on a ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier this week, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would continue to respond “firmly” to US strikes and had no plans for negotiations.
“We currently have no plans for negotiations and remain focused on defending the country,” Baghaei told reporters in Tehran on Wednesday.
How the US-Iran conflict has escalated this week
The US is continuing to bombard Iran, as Tehran maintains its attacks on American allies in the Persian Gulf. Last night saw the seventh consecutive round of overnight US strikes on Iran this week.
Here’s a look at how the conflict has escalated over the past seven days:
- Early Sunday local time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) 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. The US military launched multiple rounds of strikes on Iran in response. Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan all reported incoming attacks as Iran retaliated.
- In the early hours of Monday morning, the US carried out another round of strikes on Iran, including on two locations near Ahvaz, a city known for its petroleum industry, as well as a water pumping station in southwestern Iran’s Khuzestan, state media reported. The IRGC launched a new wave of missile and drone attacks toward US bases in the region, including in Bahrain and Kuwait.
- Early Tuesday, the US military said it struck targets across Iran for five hours, damaging a power plant on Iran’s Kish Island, according to Iranian state media. Iran launched waves of strikes towards Bahrain, while Jordan’s state news agency said the country shot down four missiles fired from Iran. Four Kuwaiti service members were wounded by an Iranian attack on a Kuwaiti naval vessel, the country’s Defense Ministry said. The IRGC also said it “struck and disabled” two tankers in Strait of Hormuz. That night, the US struck Iran ahead of reimplementing its blockade of the country’s ports
- On Wednesday, the US carried out multiple rounds of strikes on Iran, killing at least seven Iranian military personnel, according to Iran’s army. A hospital in southwestern Iran was temporarily evacuated after a projectile from a US strike landed nearby, state-run media reported. Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain responded to Iranian attacks.
- Early Thursday local time, an explosion was heard in Tehran, as state media reported attacks across Iran. Jordan and Kuwait’s armies said that they intercepted Iranian strikes. That evening, the US launched more strikes, with attacks reported across Iran.
- In the early hours of yesterday, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Qatar reported more Iranian attacks. Kuwait said Iran hit a power generation and water desalination plant. The US struck Iran again, with Iranian state media reporting that several bridges in the south of the country and a maritime control tower were hit. Iran claimed it targeted US forces in Syria, though both US military and Syrian officials disputed this.
- The US carried out a seventh night of overnight strikes from yesterday into today, targeting coastal areas near the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, as well as transport infrastructure further inland, according to Iranian state media. The attacks damaged a desalination plant in the south of the country, leaving 20 villages without water, according to the deputy governor of Hormozgan province. Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia reported raising alarms or fending off Iranian attacks, as Kuwait said another power and water desalination plant was hit.
CNN’s Dalia Abdelwahab, Aleena Fayaz, Laura Sharman, Eyad Kourdi, Xiaoqian Lin, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Kareem El Damanhoury, Ross Adkin, Lex Harvey, Yasha Saebi, Max Saltman, Clay Voytek, Aida Karimi, Hira Humayun, Kathleen Magramo, Davis Winkie, Zachary Cohen, Kit Maher, Billy Stockwell, Mitchell McCluskey, Hanna Park, Ibrahim Dahman, Sana Noor Haq, Sophie Tanno, Mostafa Salem, Isaac Yee, Jessie Yeung, Adam Pourahmadi and Tim Lister contributed to this reporting.
US reinforces fleet of refueling aircraft in Israel
The US has bolstered its fleet of refueling aircraft in Israel as part of adjustments to its force posture in the Middle East region, an Israeli military official said today, amid consecutive waves of US strikes on Iran.
Israel has not been involved in the latest waves of strikes on Iran since the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, despite its previous involvement in “Operation Epic Fury.” Nor has Iran attempted to launch attacks on Israel but on Saturday again threatened any country helping the US.
Additionally, the US chose to station some of the tanker aircraft at Israeli Air Force bases, in coordination with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in order to reduce disruption to civilian air traffic and due to operational considerations, the official said.
The IDF is making every effort to facilitate the deployment of US forces in Israel while safeguarding its own aviation needs, the official added.
At least 50 killed in US strikes on Iran in war's latest phase, Iranian official says
At least 12 people were killed in Iran by US strikes in the last day, taking the total death toll to 50 since this latest phase of the war began, according to the Iranian Health Ministry.
At least 500 people have additionally been injured in US strikes since June 27, when the fragile ceasefire in the region first began to fray, said Hossein Kermanpour, a ministry spokesperson.
Five women and two children are among those who have been killed in the last month, he said.
A spiraling conflict risks turning into a broader regional war
Gulf states are looking on with growing apprehension as the conflict between Iran and the United States escalates again.
A pattern of strikes and counterstrikes is firmly bedded in, with the additional complication of growing tension between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen, who are determined to break a blockade against them.
The diplomatic track seems moribund for now. The flurry of Pakistani and Qatari delegations visiting Iran in an effort to sustain the ceasefire has given way to pessimism among regional diplomats. Qatar itself has been hit twice in the recent flare-up.
Iranian drones have also targeted Oman, days after negotiations between the two states on a management scheme for the Strait. And Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) has struck ships sailing close to the Omani coastline. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is down to a trickle.
Iran has repeatedly warned it is ready to step up strikes on neighbors that host US military facilities and a semi-official outlet – Fars – published a list of five ports in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that it said could become targets if Iranian infrastructure were attacked.
US targeting in recent days has included tunnels, roads, bridges and railways, according to Iranian state media – heightening anxiety that the conflict could spiral.
“Every US escalation is met by an Iranian escalation, as each side seeks to establish new deterrence thresholds with every exchange,” according to Israeli analyst Danny Citrinowicz.
Rather than force Iran back to the negotiating table, “an equally plausible outcome is a conflict that spirals beyond either side’s intentions, expanding into a much broader regional war with diminishing opportunities to restore diplomacy,” Citrinowicz posted on X Saturday.
Kuwait reports damage to oil facility in Iranian attack
Kuwaiti authorities have reported “significant” damage to a “vital” site in the oil sector and some injuries following repeated Iranian attacks.
The injured individuals were treated, and the site was evacuated, a statement from the Kuwait Petroleum Cooperation said. It did not specify how many people were injured nor detail the damage sustained by the site.
Kuwait’s fire service added today that its forces were battling two fires in two different locations following Iranian attacks. A power generation and water desalination plant have also been struck by Iran, Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said earlier on Saturday.
Five fire service teams and three oil sector fire teams battled flames at one location, Kuwait’s fire service said, adding that several firefighters and one worker sustained injuries in the process. Three fire teams were working to control the other incident.
Elsewhere in the country, debris from intercepted projectiles fell in several residential areas, causing damage but no casualities, a statement issued by the Kuwaiti army said.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry condemned Iran’s attacks and accused Tehran of being “in flagrant violation of international law” for targeting power and desalination plants.
The ministry said Kuwait maintained the right to “take all necessary measures” to defend itself.
