Here's the latest
• Saudi Arabia braces: The country is anticipating “multiple coordinated attacks” on ports and airports by Iraqi militias working with Iran-backed Houthi rebels, a Saudi official told CNN, citing “multiple intelligence reports.”
• Hormuz deal: Iran and Oman are close to finalizing a proposed framework for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s deputy foreign minister said. The agreement would not automatically reopen the waterway, he warned. Iran has also denied any direct negotiations with the United States.
• Weapons supply: President Donald Trump has pushed back on reports of the Pentagon’s dwindling munitions stockpile, claiming the US has “massive amounts” but acknowledged some weapons supplies are “tighter.”
Major escalation as spate of Houthi attacks kill and wound dozens in Yemen
A flurry of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels over the last 24 hours have reportedly killed and wounded dozens – a major escalation in a region split between parties backed by Tehran and Washington.
One of Tehran’s strongest allies, the Houthis entered the Middle East conflict in March by firing missiles towards Israel. Today, the group is boldly engaging in exchanged strikes with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, and firing directly at an old foe that is backed by the United States – Saudi Arabia.
- On Thursday, the rebel group claimed to have carried out a “large-scale” military operation targeting Saudi troops with ballistic missiles and drones in several areas of the country. The Houthis offered no evidence for the claim, but Reuters had reported earlier the same day that at least 30 Yemeni government troops were killed in Houthi attacks on military camps in the provinces of Marib and Hadhramawt, citing government sources.
- Early on Friday, the Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government said that 11 civilians were wounded in a Houthi attack on the southern Saudi border region of Najran. Seven were Saudi nationals, the coalition said on X, including a woman and a 4-year-old child who sustained second-degree burns.
- Later on Friday, Yemen’s internationally recognized government said that the Houthis were targeting the city of Marib – a key city in central Yemen held by the government – with missiles and drones.
These attacks raise the threat of another outbreak of a full-scale civil war. The last war, which began in 2014, left Yemen facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Iran, Oman routes to remain open temporarily under proposed Hormuz deal, Fars says
Iranian and Omani shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz will remain in use temporarily under an emerging agreement between the two countries before being replaced by a central route, Iran’s state-linked Fars news agency reported, citing an “informed source.”
Inbound traffic would be managed by Iran, while outbound traffic would be managed jointly by Iran and Oman, according to Fars.
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel attacked the country in February. Tehran later required vessels seeking passage to obtain its approval and sail close to the Iranian coast, while warning them against using a US-backed corridor on the Omani side. Iranian forces fired at several ships using that corridor, prompting Washington to resume strikes on Iran.
Washington, meanwhile, warned shipping companies that using the Iranian-controlled route could expose them to sanctions if they paid Iranian passage fees, provided sensitive vessel information or dealt with sanctioned entities.
If confirmed, the arrangement described by Fars would temporarily allow both the Iranian-controlled and US-backed Omani routes to operate, before traffic is redirected through a central lane.
It remains unclear whether Oman or the United States has agreed to the arrangement described by Fars.
Pakistani, Turkish leaders head to Saudi for an expected joint defense deal
Senior leadership from Pakistan and Turkey departed for Saudi Arabia this week, where they are expected to sign a trilateral defense deal as regional violence flares.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Army Chief Asim Munir and the Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar arrived in the coastal city of Jeddah on Thursday, according to a readout from the prime minister’s office.
The Pakistani delegation was “warmly welcomed” by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the readout said.
Saudi and Pakistani officials are expected to share “an exchange of views on further strengthening the longstanding fraternal relations and partnership” as well as “the situation in the region,” the readout added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also left Friday for a one-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to meet with MBS and the Pakistani prime minister, according to Turkey’s state media Anadolu Agency.
If signed, the defense pact will be a landmark deal among three nations that have all played a role in stalled diplomatic efforts to end hostilities between the US and Iran. It comes nearly a year after Islamabad and Riyadh formed a mutual defense pact in a move that strengthened a decades-long security partnership.
Regional conflagration: That same day, a Saudi official told CNN that Riyadh was bracing for “multiple coordinated attacks” by Iraqi militias and Iran-backed Houthis, adding that Gulf officials “will take all necessary measures to deal with any aggression.”
Who are the Houthis?
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis represent the country’s Shia Muslim minority, the Zaidis, and are formally known as Ansar Allah – “Partisans of God.”
They emerged as an armed group in the 1990s and fought a series of rebellions against Yemen’s central government over two decades.
After the Arab Spring in 2011, they seized a northern province and later the capital Sanaa, which they still hold, along with most of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline. In the process they became part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” across the region, receiving weapons and missile technology.
Tehran has provided the group with sea mines, ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, or drones), according to a 2021 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
After Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza began in October 2023, the Houthis launched missiles against Israel and began targeting shipping in the Red Sea. Israel responded with strikes on Houthi infrastructure and killed a number of senior Houthi officials.
Amid the US-Iran war, the militant group carried out coordinated attacks in the south of Saudi Arabia with Iraqi militias on Thursday, injuring 11 civilians, and two attacks were also reported near the Red Sea’s Bab al-Mandeb Strait this week. Although the Houthis did not claim responsibility for the attack, they have repeatedly threatened to disrupt shipping through the strait.
Saudi Arabia led a military coalition that intervened against the Houthis in Yemen in 2015 but failed to dislodge the group from the country’s north. The seven-year conflict helped create one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
CNN’s Lex Harvey, Nic Robertson, Hira Humayun and Mustafa Qadri contributed to this report.
Iranian lawmakers draft law to bar "hostile" vessels from Strait of Hormuz
Iranian lawmakers have drafted a bill to regulate traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including restrictions on certain vessels and penalties for violators, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency.
The bill, which is currently under review by the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Commission, is an initiative separate from talks with Oman on commercial shipping through the strait.
Under the original version of the bill, it stipulated that ships from the US, Israel and other countries Iran considers hostile would be barred from the waterway. The latest version encompasses a broader scope, stating that military or civilian cargo linked to Israeli vessels and other countries and entities deemed to have caused damage to Iran would also be barred from transiting until compensation is paid, Fars reported.
Violations of the restrictions will carry fines of up to 20% of the value of the vessel’s cargo, Fars added.
For vessels that are allowed to transit the strait, the Iranian government will charge navigation service fees, payable in Iranian currency, to cover the costs of safe navigation, it reported.
Remember: The effort to draft this bill was first announced in March by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency. The following month, a draft was released that targeted vessels from countries considered hostile to Iran, with the possibility of exemptions. The latest version of the bill expands the proposed restrictions to more vessels and also covers cargo.
CNN’s Hira Humayun contributed reporting.
Reports of low US munitions stockpile may "embolden" Iran, CNN analyst says
Iran could become “emboldened” by reports of depleted US munitions stockpile, according to a CNN national security analyst on Friday.
The reports that the US military has used up nearly 80% of its interceptors for a key missile defense system could signal the US’s vulnerability to Tehran, said Alex Plitsas, who is also director of the counterterrorism program at the Atlantic Council.
Plitsas described the reports as “a politically motivated leak” and they put the US in a “very precarious situation at the moment.”
US President Donald Trump has pushed back on the reports, claiming the US has “massive amounts” of munitions but acknowledging some weapons supplies are “tighter.” He also said defense companies are “building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history.”
“But the problem is, that takes some time to build out,” said Plitsas. “And so in the short term, that still leaves a production capacity gap, and the need to backfill those munitions.”
There has been a “pattern of expanding aggression and hostility by the Iranians,” as Saudi Arabia braces for attacks by Iraqi militias factions and Iran-backed Houthis, Plitsas added.
“The message from the Iranians is clear… if you go after the Houthis in Yemen, we’re going to respond not only for Yemen, but you’re going to have a two-front war. You’re going to have to deal with the Iraqi militias,” he said.
“And I believe that emboldenment comes in part because they believe US stockpiles are low and they’ll have a hard time defending against that.”
Catch up: Trump claims US has "massive amounts" of munitions after reports of low supply
Fighting in the Middle East continues, and according to US President Donald Trump, the United States has weapons to continue the war with Iran.
Trump claimed Thursday that the US has “massive amounts” of munitions, following reports from various media, including CNN, on the Pentagon’s depleted stockpile. However, he did acknowledge certain munitions are in “tighter” supply after months of the war.
The president also said Thursday he’s “extremely happy” with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, pushing back on reporting that he’s upset with him over munitions shortages.
Catch up on other headlines here:
- Talks between Israel and Lebanon: The now-concluded talks between Israel and Lebanon in Rome “were productive on the technical and expert levels,” a US State Department spokesperson said. The three days of US-mediated technical discussions were set against the backdrop of renewed Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon.
- Draft bill: Iranian lawmakers drafted a bill to regulate traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including restrictions on certain vessels and penalties for violators, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency. The bill — currently under review by the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Commission — is an initiative separate from talks with Oman on commercial shipping through the waterway.
- Comments from Iran: Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator accused Trump of “theater diplomacy” on Thursday as Washington and Tehran gave sharply conflicting accounts of whether talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz were happening. The comments were an apparent response to Trump, who has repeatedly said negotiations are underway.
- Strait traffic: MarineTraffic data on Thursday showed that at least seven commercial ships passed through the strait over the last 24 hours as Iranian and Omani officials near a framework for partially reopening the waterway. Six vessels moved into the Persian Gulf — five cargo ships and one tanker — while one cargo ship exited into the Gulf of Oman.
- Developments on the ground: Saudi Arabia on Thursday braced for “multiple coordinated attacks” by Iraqi militias working with Iran-backed Houthis, a Saudi official told CNN, as the Middle East conflict threatens to continue to broaden in the region.
CNN’s Aileen Graef, Jennifer Hansler, Aida Karimi, Hira Humayun, Alessandra Freitas, Avery Schmitz, Kevin Liptak and Nic Robertson contributed reporting.
Saudi Arabia anticipating "multiple coordinated attacks" by Iraqi militias and Houthis
Saudi Arabia is bracing for “multiple coordinated attacks” by Iraqi militias working with Iran-backed Houthis, a Saudi official told CNN, as the Middle East conflict threatens to continue to broaden in the region.
The official cited “multiple intelligence reports” from Saudi Arabia and regional countries that the Iraqi militias “in coordination with the Houthis” are planning to attack the Gulf nation “in the very near future” under the guidance of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The official expressed alarm, saying that the reports come as Saudi Arabia is encouraging de-escalation, and when negotiations seem to be heading in the right direction.
“Saudi Arabia will take all necessary measures to deal with any aggression,” the official said.
News of the anticipated attacks comes ahead of a joint Turkish-Saudi-Pakistani summit in Mecca, the holiest city in Islam, on Friday, where a joint defense agreement is expected to be declared, according to regional sources.
The reports of impending attacks come a day after Houthis claimed to attack a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, another key waterway. In the past few weeks Saudi Arabia has come under missile attacks from the Houthis in Yemen and drone attacks from pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
What Trump has said about US munitions supplies
President Donald Trump claimed the United States has “massive amounts” of munitions, following reports from various media, including CNN, on the Pentagon’s depleted stockpile.
“Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history,” he added.
Trump later acknowledged certain munitions are in “tighter” supply after months of war with Iran, while insisting the US had other, less advanced types of weapons to continue fighting if necessary.
He also said replenishing weapons stocks is critical in case another conflict arises.
He said there are ample supplies of less advanced weapons as defense contractors ramp up production of Patriot missile interceptors and Tomahawk missiles.
“We have certain types of munitions which are very — they may not be as accurate,” he said. “They may not be, you know, they’re not as elite.”
“We have elite, too, but we’re watching that very closely,” he went on. “But we have certain types which are very powerful and very good, and we have an unlimited supply, and so we’re in great shape.”
“We have to have more. We have other things maybe come up, maybe come up, and maybe don’t come up,” he concluded. “Hopefully, nothing else does come up. But we’re in very good shape. We have literally massive amounts of ammunition.”
CNN previously reported that the US military had exhausted nearly 80% of its interceptors for its key THAAD missile defense system, and that senior US military commanders had warned that the Pentagon’s munitions stockpile is “dangerously low,” according to multiple sources.
Iran and Oman are close to a deal for Strait of Hormuz. Here's what Tehran wants
Iran is finalizing a deal with Oman for the movement of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, but a deal between the two coastal nations does not mean the waterway will reopen, Tehran says.
Tehran says it requires a number of guarantees from the United States if vessels are to transit the strait freely.
In an interview with the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi spelled out Iran’s demands, saying the US must reverse actions it says violated previous commitments.
These include:
- Ending the naval blockade on Iranian ports.
- Addressing sanctions that were reimposed on Iran when the truce collapsed – especially on the oil sector – and resuming negotiations over Tehran’s frozen assets.
- Addressing the US’ “failure” to ensure stability in Lebanon as envisaged under the memorandum of understanding reached with Washington in June.
Asked if Iran is essentially implementing Article 5 of the June agreement, which committed Iran to using its “best efforts” to ensure safe commercial passage for 60 days, Gharibabadi said “No.”
“Article 5 only established guiding principles, not a final operational plan,” he said, adding that “the new Iran–Oman understanding is presented as an entirely new model reflecting today’s security environment rather than a continuation of the previous 60-year arrangement.”
This means that shipping routes through the strait will change, with a significant portion of commercial traffic transiting through Iranian territorial waters and the remainder through Omani waters, he said.
Gharibabadi said the arrangement reflects a new strategy for exercising “effective sovereignty” over the strait, while stressing that Iran does not intend to routinely close the waterway in peacetime.
"Theater diplomacy on loop": Iran's top negotiator amid disputed US-Iran talks
Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator accused US President Donald Trump of “theater diplomacy” on Thursday as Washington and Tehran gave sharply conflicting accounts of whether talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz were taking place.
Ghalibaf’s comments were an apparent response to Trump, who has repeatedly said negotiations with Iran are underway, telling Fox News on Tuesday: “They had an all-day negotiation today, and it looks like things are very good.” Tehran has denied any US-Iran talks are taking place or planned, But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said mediators are working to de-escalate tensions and pass messages between the two sides.
Trump said over the weekend that he had called off what he described as the biggest US attack on another country since World War II because Iran wanted to negotiate. He has warned Tehran it would be hit “really hard” if a deal was not reached.
Over the last six months, President Trump has issued several severe threats against Iran, but he often dials them back, as negotiations drag on.
Ghalibaf said the United States’ use of “bullying,” broken promises and what he called fake news as leverage was a “failed strategy.”
“Acknowledge the facts and fulfill your commitments. We don’t need more theater,” he added.
Ongoing talks on Strait of Hormuz: What Iran and Oman have discussed
Iran and Oman are close to finalizing a proposed framework for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the agreement would not automatically reopen the waterway, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in an interview with the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
The ongoing talks between Iran and Oman are critically important because they could lead to the full reopening of the world’s most critical energy chokepoint.
Here’s what the talks have covered:
- Gharibabadi said negotiations have continued for more than three weeks and produced broad agreement on proposed inbound and outbound shipping routes.
- The talks also covered technical arrangements, the security and sovereignty of Iran and Oman, and a proposed joint coordination center to manage maritime traffic and collect information from vessels.
- Under the proposed arrangement, temporary routes near Iran’s Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz and through Omani territorial waters would close.
- Parts of the new inbound and outbound corridors would pass through Iranian waters, marking a departure from a decades-old system under which commercial traffic traveled through Omani waters, Gharibabadi said.
- The proposed route would initially operate for two to four months or possibly longer, according to Gharibabadi. Its implementation would require a separate decision by Iran’s senior leadership.
CNN has reached out to the government of Oman for comment on the details shared by the Iranian official.
Gharibabadi said those conditions largely concerned the United States, which he accused of reinstating a naval blockade, resuming hostilities and reimposing sanctions. The US has said it resumed strikes after Iran fired on vessels transiting the strait.
On Wednesday, Gharibabadi denied that Iran is currently negotiating with the US over the Strait of Hormuz. He described discussions with Oman as strictly bilateral.
