Here's the latest
• More strikes on Iran: The US has launched more strikes against Iran on Monday, US Central Command said, hours after President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would pay for the deaths of three service members over the past few days. Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations in the country.
• Next steps: The US is increasing the number of fighter jets in the Middle East as Trump considers how to proceed, an official said. Dozens of US fuelers have arrived in Israel in recent days and are still incoming, an Israeli source said.
• In the region: Kuwait intercepted “hostile targets,” sirens sounded in Bahrain and Jordan said it downed Iranian missiles. Iran has stepped up attacks on the three countries — which all host the US military.
• Gas prices rise: The average price for gallon of gas in the US hit $4, as intensified fighting further disrupts oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest from the Middle East as US-Iran strikes impact the region
As the United States and Iran exchange strikes, the escalating conflict is impacting the wider Middle East region. Here’s what we’ve learned in the last few hours:
• The US said it launched more attacks against Iran just hours ago, and official Iranian media reported that explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm and the Bemani district in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province, along the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz.
• US President Donald Trump had earlier warned Iran of strong retribution after recent US troop deaths.
• Kuwait said it intercepted “hostile” missiles and drones after already sustaining two rounds of Iranian attacks earlier on Monday. Jordan also said it intercepted and downed three missiles launched from Iranian territory.
• Mediators have floated a 10-day ceasefire between the US and Iran but Washington has downplayed the prospect of Trump accepting it.
• The US is increasing aircraft numbers in the Middle East. Dozens of US fuelers have arrived in Israel in recent days and are still incoming, an Israeli source said.
• Trump will attend the dignified transfer of US service members killed in the war, the White House announced.
• Daily shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has consistently dropped since negotiations collapsed. Just nine vessels passed through over the last day, according to MarineTraffic data. Two vessels were struck by projectiles off the coasts of Oman and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, said British shipping monitor UK Maritime Trade Operations center.
• Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it has begun a “pilot program” for partial withdrawal from Lebanon by transferring control of three villages in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese military. This stems from a 14-point framework signed by Israel and Lebanon after US-mediated talks.
CNN’s Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Dana Karni, Max Saltman, Eyad Kourdi, Lisa Wong, Kevin Liptak and Alejandra Jaramillo contributed reporting to the post.
Kuwaiti military says it is intercepting missiles and drones
The Kuwaiti military is currently intercepting “hostile” missiles and drones, according to a statement from the country’s armed forces.
Kuwait has sustained two other rounds of Iranian attacks on Monday. Qatar earlier condemned the renewed strikes as “a blatant violation” of Kuwaiti sovereignty, warning that they could undermine ongoing efforts to end the war.
US says it launched new strikes on Iran as state media reports explosions
The US has launched more strikes against Iran, US Central Command said in a post to social media on Monday, and official Iranian media reported new blasts in the country’s south.
“Today at 4 p.m. ET, US forces began a new round of strikes against Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” CENTCOM wrote in a post to X. “The strikes are designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) said shortly after the CENTCOM announcement that an explosion was heard in the Bemani district in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province, along the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz.
IRIB also cited unofficial sources as saying that multiple explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm, also in Hormozgan Province.
The state broadcaster did not immediately provide further details on the cause of the explosions or report any damage or casualties.
Separately, Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said air defense systems were activated in the southwestern Iranian port city of Bushehr to counter hostile aircraft but that “no impacts have been reported,” citing Bushehr’s governor, Mohammad Mozaffari.
The Bushehr nuclear power plant is located along the Persian Gulf about 11 miles south of the city center.
IRNA also quoted the top official in Chabahar county, Alireza Noura, as saying that “enemy airstrikes” hit the cities of Chabahar and Konarak on the Gulf of Oman. He did not provide further details.
Yasha Saebi contributed to this report.
Israeli military begins "pilot program" for partial withdrawal in Lebanon
The Israeli military began a “pilot program” by transferring control of three villages in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese military on Monday, according to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces.
“The pilot serves as a test of the Lebanese Armed Forces’ sovereignty in the three pilot villages,” the statement added, adding that the United States will monitor the withdrawal.
The partial drawdown emerges from a 14-point framework signed by Israel and Lebanon after US-mediated talks. The US State Department announced the pilot program launch earlier Monday, naming three Lebanese villages near the “Yellow Line” demarcating Israeli-occupied territory in Lebanon. One of the villages was occupied by the Israeli military, while the other two were attacked during fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Israeli statement comes a day before Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is due to visit the White House and meet with US President Donald Trump.
Israeli officials have repeatedly said that they do not intend to withdraw fully from Lebanon until the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia is disarmed — a distant prospect. The statement Monday stresses that the Israeli military will remain in the “Security Zone” there “for as long as necessary to defend the communities of northern Israel.”
Traffic through Strait of Hormuz stays quiet
Daily shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has consistently dropped since US-Iranian negotiations collapsed. In the past 24 hours, just nine vessels passed through, according to MarineTraffic data.
The open-source data shows seven cargo vessels entering the Persian Gulf, while one tanker and one cargo ship exited into the Gulf of Oman.
This limited movement through the strait is a stark contrast to five months ago, before the US-Iran conflict, when an average of 130 ships passed through daily, according to the Library of Congress.
Renewed strikes between the US and Iran raise safety concerns on vessels and disrupt the transportation of oil through a crucial channel for exports. Several commercial vessels have been reported struck by Iran as it attemps to assert control over the strait.
GPS spoofing, a type of navigational interference that makes ships’ broadcast positions show up in the wrong places, remains a concern across the region. The disruption has continued for months, sometimes throwing vessels’ reported coordinates off by dozens of miles and making traffic through the waterway harder to monitor.
Mediators float 10-day ceasefire, but US downplays prospect Trump will accept
Mediators between the United States and Iran have floated the prospect of a 10-day ceasefire that would lower temperatures between the warring nations in an effort to prompt a return to negotiations, people familiar with the matter said.
In wasn’t immediately clear how advanced the proposal is. But the sources said the cessation in violence would also include lifting restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has fired at commercial vessels attempting to transit the waterway, while Trump has reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The White House stopped short of saying it would accept a halt in hostilities, but allowed that diplomacy was proceeding.
“Right now, President Trump is focused on making Iran pay for their violations of the MOU and their continued acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz,” a US official said, referring to the memorandum of understanding signed by Washington and Tehran last month.
“In addition, the President will make Iran pay for the recent deaths of U.S. soldiers,” the official said. “These devastating blows will continue until the President deems otherwise, but talks between our countries are continuing.”
Earlier Monday, Trump vowed retribution for the recent US deaths, which included two service members who died after an Iranian attack on a base in Jordan.
Even before those deaths, Trump had been weighing options that would intensify the conflict. The US has sent additional fighter jets and aerial refueling tankers to the region in anticipation of potential escalation.
Throughout the conflict, Qatar and Pakistan have played leading roles in trying to mediate hostilities.
Jordan says it intercepted three incoming missiles from Iran
Jordan’s armed forces said Monday that air defense systems intercepted and downed three missiles launched from Iranian territory after they entered Jordanian airspace.
CNN correspondent Jomana Karadshe heard the sound of sirens in the capital, Amman. It was the second such alert in two days.
In a statement, the Jordanian armed forces said the interception operation caused no casualties or material damage.
On Friday, two US service members were killed in Jordan in Iranian attacks on the country.
US Central Command declined to comment on whether any US bases in Jordan were targeted in this latest salvo of missiles.
Trump says Netanyahu “will not be arrested” in US
President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will “not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form” when visiting the US, pushing back on comments from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that his office is looking into arresting the prime minister during the United Nations General Assembly in September.
“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America. He is fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which recently killed 52,000 innocent protestors, and has spent the last 47 years killing American Soldiers, and others,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
It’s still unclear how many people were killed during those protests in Iran in January, but the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says at least 6,000 protesters died and an additional 17,000 deaths are under investigation.
During an event Monday in the Bronx, Mamdani reiterated his stance that Netanyahu should be held accountable for what the mayor says are “alleged war crimes.”
Mamdani told a New York Times podcast over the weekend that he believes the Israeli leader “belongs in The Hague,” where the International Criminal Court holds trials.
This post has been updated with Mamdani’s most recent comments and more information.
Two vessels struck by projectiles off UAE and Oman, UKMTO reports
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center, a British shipping monitor, says two vessels were struck by projectiles off the coasts of Oman and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday.
The incident off the UAE coast occurred around 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, UKMTO said.
“The Master of a vessel reports being struck by an unknown projectile causing damage to the steering gear,” UKMTO said in its report. “All the crew are reported as safe. There is no environmental impact. Authorities are investigating.”
UKMTO also reported Monday that it had reclassified a Sunday incident with a separate ship off the Omani coast as an “attack.” The ship is currently adrift and aflame after being “struck by an unknown projectile.”
“The crew safely abandoned the vessel and have been recovered by a tug boat,” UKMTO said. “The fire has not been extinguished and the vessel is currently adrift. There is no reported environmental impact.”
UKMTO monitors shipping in the Persian Gulf, northern Indian Ocean and Red Sea. As the war with Iran has impeded shipping in the Strait of Hormuz since late February, the group has fielded a large number of emergency calls from vessels.
Trump to attend dignified transfer for US troops killed in Iran war
President Donald Trump will attend the dignified transfer of US service members killed in the war with Iran, the White House announced on Monday.
“President Trump will attend the dignified transfer of our fallen heroes tomorrow evening at Dover Air Force Base. The President and the entire White House are praying for their families,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a post on X.
The announcement comes after Trump earlier Monday vowed retaliation against Iran following the deaths of US troops over the weekend.
The Pentagon said three US service members were killed over the weekend, including two at a military base in Jordan and one in northern Iraq.
US boosts Middle East air presence as troop deaths and new strikes fuel fear of wider war
The United States is sending more aircraft to the Middle East as fears of a prolonged regional conflict grow after the US and Iran exchanged strikes over the weekend and Washington announced the deaths of three American service members.
The US plans to send additional F-16 and F-35 fighter jets from bases in Europe, as well as additional aerial refueling tankers, according to a US official.
We’re tracking the latest developments in the region. Catch up here.
- President Donald Trump warned Iran of strong retribution after US troop deaths in the deadly weekend for American service members. The US Department of Defense identified two US soldiers who were killed in Iranian strikes in Jordan.
- Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni has arrived in Pakistan, where Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi welcomed him at the airport, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry. Naqvi told Momeni he hoped he “brought good news.” The visit comes after Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said mediators had sent Tehran additional proposals despite the hostilities.
- The Kuwaiti military said it intercepted “hostile targets” for the second time on Monday, after Iran fired an initial salvo in the early morning local time.
- In Bahrain, sirens sounded in the evening local time, according to the country’s Interior Ministry, for the fifth time Monday.
- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also later warned of “repercussions” if the US moves against Kharg Island, after being asked about threats made by Trump.
- Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen has declared its own maritime blockade on Saudi shipping, an escalation that could reignite yet another dormant regional conflict.
- Air France said it is halting flights to Riyadh and Dubai because of the worsening security situation in the region. It also extended the suspension of flights to and from Beirut until August 2.
- Separately, in a key step of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, the US announced the launch of pilot zones in southern Lebanon intended to transfer control of the area to the Lebanese military.
CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Dana Karni and Zeena Saifi, Eyad Kourdi, Sana Noor Haq, Michael Williams, Kevin Liptak, Tal Shalev, Robert North, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Sophia Saifi, Max Saltman and Aida Karimi contributed to this report.
France denounces "extremely serious" intimidation of two embassy staff in Iran
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Monday there would be “consequences” after two staff members of the French Embassy in Tehran were detained for several hours by Iranian security services.
In a statement, Barrot said the two embassy staff members were targeted Sunday evening in “an extremely serious act of intimidation,” which he described as a blatant violation of their diplomatic immunity.
He said they were held “without reason” for several hours, questioned and, in one case, physically assaulted, before later returning to the embassy.
Barrot said the two officials were now safe and awaiting their return to France in the coming hours.
He said the incident was especially shocking because the two staff members were responsible for French programs supporting civil society, particularly Iranian artists and scientists.
Barrot added that he has informed Iran’s foreign minister that “this extremely serious and unacceptable violation of the physical integrity of our staff will not go without consequences.”
There was no immediate public response from Iranian authorities.
Trump warns of strong retaliation against Iran after US deaths
President Donald Trump is warning of strong retribution for US troop deaths caused by Iran after a deadly weekend for American service members.
“Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!” he wrote on Truth Social on Monday.
He said he had communicated his instructions to top military brass.
“This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military,” he wrote.
The Pentagon confirmed three US deaths over the weekend, including two at a military base in Jordan and one in northern Iraq.
The military continues to examine unidentified remains found at the site of the Jordan attack, an indication the death toll could rise.
Iran says US could face “repercussions” if Trump carries out threat to seize Kharg Island
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei warned Monday of “repercussions” if the United States moves against Kharg Island, after being asked about threats made by US President Donald Trump.
During a press conference from Tehran, Baghaei was asked about what the questioner described as Trump’s repeated threat, through social media posts, to potentially seize the island and what the consequences would be.
“They will face the repercussions,” Baghaei said. “There are numerous people in those very regions who are eagerly awaiting their arrival.”
Baghaei did not elaborate further on what actions Iran might take.
Iranian interior minister arrives in Pakistan
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni has arrived in Pakistan, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.
Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi welcomed Momeni and a delegation of Iranian officials at the airport, according to a Foreign Ministry statement, telling him that he hoped Momeni “brought good news.”
“We also hope for progress on the regional solution,” Naqvi added.
Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) earlier reported that Momeni is expected to discuss bilateral ties, including “economic, transit and agricultural cooperation” between Iran and Pakistan during his one-day visit to Islamabad.
Air France halts Riyadh and Dubai flights amid Middle East security concerns
Air France said Monday it is halting flights to Riyadh and Dubai because of the worsening security situation in the region.
The airline said it was suspending flights to and from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, through July 25, and suspending services to and from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, through July 28. It also extended the suspension of flights to and from Beirut until August 2, those flights have been suspended since March 1.
Air France said the resumption of flights would depend on reassessment of the security situation, which it said was “rapidly evolving”. “Air France reiterates that the safety of its customers and crews is its utmost priority,” it added.
The move came as the United States announced it is sending more fighter jets to the region as tensions with Iran intensifies.
Several international airlines from various countries—including the US, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK—have already suspended flights to countries in Middle East amid US war with Iran.
US sending additional aircraft to Middle East as Trump considers widening war against Iran
The United States is increasing aircraft numbers in the Middle East as tensions soar with Iran.
The US plans to send additional F-16 and F-35 fighter jets from bases in Europe, as well as additional aerial refueling tankers, according to a US official.
Dozens of US fuelers have arrived in Israel in recent days and are still incoming, an Israeli source said. During the March operation, there were roughly 94 fuelers. That had dropped to 40, but has been rising since last week, this source said.
The additional resources could expand President Donald Trump’s options as he weighs how to proceed in the escalating conflict.
Last week, Trump received a Situation Room briefing on options to intensify the war. He has considered whether to attempt to capture Kharg Island, a key Iranian export hub, or to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities at Pickaxe Mountain.
Trump, however, has not entirely ruled out seeking a diplomatic solution, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said overnight the door remains open to returning to the negotiating table.
This post has been updated with additional reporting.
Qatar says Iran attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain risk undermining diplomacy
Qatar on Monday condemned renewed Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, warning that such strikes could undermine political and diplomatic efforts to restore regional security and stability.
The country has served as a key diplomatic back channel for indirect US-Iran negotiations.
The Kuwaiti military said earlier Monday that it was “intercepting hostile targets” for the second time after Iran fired an initial salvo in the early hours local time.
Any “explosions that may be heard” were caused by activated air defense systems, the military posted on X.
Farther south, in Bahrain, sirens sounded in the evening local time, according to the country’s Interior Ministry, for the fifth time in the day.
In a statement, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the attacks are “a blatant violation” of the two countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity and “a flagrant breach” of international law.
The ministry called for avoiding any action that “could broaden the escalation, a serious return to dialogue and negotiations, and adherence to the understandings reached through diplomatic efforts,” the statement added.
Some background: The Iranian military has escalated attacks on three regional countries — Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain — in recent days, all of which accommodate US bases.
CNN’s Mostafa Salem and Adrienne Vogt contributed reporting.
This post has been updated with the latest information.
In key ceasefire step, US announces launch of Lebanon pilot zones as part of Israel deal
In a key step of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, the US announced on Monday the launch of pilot zones in southern Lebanon intended to transfer control of the area to the Lebanese military.
The State Department named three towns near the so-called “Yellow Line,” the boundary for the territory Israel occupies in southern Lebanon. Only one had been occupied by Israeli forces; the other two had come under Israeli attack during the war. Under the US-brokered ceasefire agreement, Israel is supposed to withdraw its military forces from these zones and allow the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to enter.
The zones are supposed to be clear of Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy whose base of power is in southern Lebanon. Israel has vowed it will not fully withdraw from the area until Hezbollah is disarmed and pushed back from the border.
Pictures of southern Lebanon shared with CNN last week show the LAF patrolling several southern villages along the border, including some previously occupied by Israeli forces, like Bint Jbeil, and others that have seen heavy Israeli bombardment, like Nabatiyeh. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.
The announcement comes one day before Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is set to visit the White House and meet President Donald Trump. Aoun will be the first Lebanese president to visit the White House since 2009.
On Sunday, Aoun met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “The United States remains committed to supporting this effort and Lebanon’s efforts to deliver security, peace and a better future for the Lebanese people,” Rubio said in a statement after the meeting.
In escalation, Yemen’s Houthis declare a maritime blockade on Saudi shipping
The Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen has declared its own maritime blockade on Saudi shipping, an escalation that could reignite yet another dormant regional conflict.
The militant Houthi group announced in a televised statement by its spokesperson that it was imposing “a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of an ‘eye for an eye,’ effective immediately.”
Last week, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out strikes on the capital’s airport warning that the attack marks the end of a years-long de facto truce with Riyadh. The opposing Saudi-backed Yemeni government based in Riyadh had accused Iran of sending a flight carrying military and security personnel destined for the Houthis, as well as Iranian experts in drone and missile-system development.
Tension has been growing between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia over a range of issues, including a long-running Saudi blockade of Houthi-held territory in the country’s north and direct flights between Tehran and Sanaa.
The Houthis are one of Iran’s principal allies in the region, and on several occasions since the start of the war between the US and Iran have warned they could take action to block the Bab al Mandab Strait, a chokepoint at the southern end of the Red Sea.
The flare-up follows more than four years of relative calm that began with a UN-brokered truce in 2022 and was sustained by direct Saudi-Houthi talks after Riyadh and Tehran restored diplomatic ties the following year.
