What we covered here
• Strikes target leadership: US President Donald Trump said Iran’s air force and navy had been “knocked out” and that strikes targeted Iranian leadership. Israel struck a compound belonging to a group responsible for electing Iran’s next supreme leader, an Israeli source told CNN.
• Embassies impacted: All personnel are accounted for after a drone hit the grounds of the US consulate in Dubai. The US has closed embassies in three countries and warned Americans to leave the region.
• Scramble to evacuate: The United Arab Emirates said it opened safe air corridors with its neighbors as countries rush to evacuate stranded nationals, with regional travel paralyzed.
• Oil trade rocked: Trump ordered US “insurance and guarantees” for ships traveling through the Gulf and suggested the navy would escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “if necessary.” The price of gasoline in the US had its largest one-day increase since 2005 as the war threatens the global economy.
Our live coverage of the war with Iran has moved here.
Israel is trading strikes with Iran and Lebanon. Here's the latest
Israel is again trading strikes with Iran and Lebanon, as US assets in the Middle East come under fire.
The war has disrupted global travel, stranded foreign nationals, and spiked global commodity prices.
Here’s the latest:
- Strikes target leadership and military: US President Donald Trump said strikes targeted another set of Iranian leaders. Israel also struck a compound belonging to a group responsible for electing Iran’s next supreme leader, an Israeli source told CNN. Trump said Iran’s air force and navy had been “knocked out,” with the US military saying it destroyed 17 Iranian ships.
- US facilities targeted: The US has closed embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon, after several were hit with Iranian strikes. A CIA station in Saudi Arabia, and a US military base in Qatar – the largest in the Middle East – were also hit. Non-emergency US government personnel in several Middle Eastern countries have been ordered to leave.
- Stranded nationals: Countries are rushing to evacuate stranded nationals, with much of the region’s airspace closed. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department is actively working on efforts to assist Americans who want to leave the Middle East, including over 1,500 that asked for help. Trump said there had been no evacuation plan for Americans in the Middle East before they launched the strikes.
- European involvement: The UK is deploying a warship after an attack on a military base in Cyprus. UK Prime Minister Starmer has consistently stated that the UK will not join the US and Israel in any offensive action, but some have expressed concern that it could be drawn into another Iraq-style conflict as British interests are directly targeted. France is deploying an aircraft carrier and escort frigates to the Mediterranean. France has also deployed fighter jets, air defense systems and airborne radar assets to protect allied airspace.
- Iran death toll soars: More than 1,000 people, including children, have been killed in Iran since the war began, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
- Economic impact: Oil and natural gas prices are jumping while stock markets are tumbling. The Middle East is a major producer of oil and natural gas, but its energy exports have now been largely cut off from the rest of the world by an effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump ordered US “insurance and guarantees” for ships traveling through the Gulf, and suggested the navy would escort tankers through the strait “if necessary.” Asian markets plummeted in early Wednesday trading.
- Attacks on Lebanon: Israel has ordered residents in dozens of villages and towns to evacuate in southern Lebanon, as it launches attacks on the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The order came hours after Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to “advance and seize additional strategic high ground” in Lebanon, where forces have unleashed a wave of attacks this week.
State Department allows non-emergency personnel in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Cyprus to leave
The US State Department has authorized non-emergency employees and their families in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Cyprus to leave those countries, in the latest diplomatic departures as Iran continues attacking US government and military facilities across the Middle East.
In the State Department’s notice for employees in Saudi Arabia, it cited “an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran,” after the US embassy in Riyadh was struck by drones. It added that the US government has “limited ability” to help American citizens in the country.
Its notices for Cyprus and Oman both cited “safety risks.”
On Monday, a drone targeted RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, a key hub for UK air operations in the Middle East, believed to be the first attack on the British base since 1986.
Oman, long a mediator between Washington and Tehran, has largely been spared attacks in the current conflict – but its commercial port at Duqm on the eastern coast has been hit by Iranian drones more than once.
Asian markets continue plunging as conflict drags on
Asian markets tumbled sharply in early Wednesday trading as the widening war in the Middle East rattled investors, deepening fears of energy supply disruptions that could hit import-dependent Asian economies hard.
- South Korea: KOSPI plunged 12.3% by late morning, after closing 7.2% lower on Tuesday.
- Japan: Nikkei 225 index plummeted 4.7%.
- Hong Kong: Hang Seng index was down 3.1%.
- Taiwan: TAIEX slid 3.9%.
Vulnerability: Asian economies are particularly vulnerable to energy supply disruptions in the Middle East, as many of them source the majority of crude oil and sizable portion of gas from the Gulf states.
Choke point: To reach Asia, about 46% of the crude is shipped through a critical route – the Strait of Hormuz, which has already seen traffic being limited, according to Kpler, a global oil monitoring service.
Saudi Arabia intercepts cruise missiles, defense ministry says
Saudi Arabia has intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles near the central city of Al Kharj, the kingdom’s defense ministry has said.
The statement, cited to the ministry’s spokesman and published Wednesday morning, did not say whether casualties or damage had resulted from the interception.
Al Kharj is around 55 miles (85 kilometers) to the southeast of the capital Riyadh. The Prince Sultan Air Base is located close by. It is a Saudi airbase but is previously known to have housed US military aircraft.
US military has destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including submarine, commander says
The US military has destroyed 17 Iranian ships in its campaign against Iran, which involves tens of thousands of US service members, the commander of US forces in the Middle East said in a video Tuesday.
“In simple terms, we’re focused on shooting all the things that can shoot at us,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, said in the message posted to X, detailing “uncontested surgical strikes” by B-2 and B-1 bombers.
“We are also sinking the Iranian navy — the entire navy,” he added. “Thus far, we’ve destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including the most operational Iranian submarine that now has a hole in its side.”
“For decades, the Iranian regime has harassed international shipping. Today, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman,” Cooper said. “And we will not stop.”
Cooper’s comments come four days into the US military operation against Iran, called Operation Epic Fury. Defense Department officials have said destroying Iran’s navy is a primary target for the operation. There are more than 50,000 US troops and more than 200 fighter aircraft involved in the mission, Cooper said, and strikes are ongoing 24/7.
“Now, we’re less than 100 hours into this operation, and we’ve already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions,” he said.
In retaliation to the US’ and Israel’s bombardment, Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and more than 2,000 drones, Cooper said. Still, he said Tehran’s “ability to hit us is declining.”
European nations scramble to evacuate citizens stranded in the Middle East
A number of European countries are rushing to evacuate their nationals stranded in the Middle East as the Israel-US war with Iran intensifies.
- The United Kingdom is working with airlines to boost evacuations, foreign minister Yvette Cooper said on Tuesday. “Limited commercial flights have restarted from the UAE where we are working with the Government and with airlines. A UK chartered plane will also run from Oman, prioritising the most vulnerable,” she wrote on X.
- France was preparing to evacuate its citizens from the region, President Emmanuel Macron said, starting with two flights on Tuesday evening. About 400,000 French citizens are in the region, he said.
- Italy’s foreign ministry on Tuesday said it had arranged two special commercial flights from Oman to Rome for about 300 people. A separate flight from Abu Dhabi carrying about 200 people, including students, from the World Students’ Connection in Dubai was also being arranged. An additional flight on Wednesday from Muscat has been scheduled, the ministry said.
- The first Czech government evacuation plane landed in Prague on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. The military Airbus arrived from Jordan and had capacity for around 40 passengers, with two more planes expected later in the day, it said. Zdenek Viktorin, traveling with his family, told AP their trip was “perfect” but he didn’t expect the war could start during their stay. “When the politicians say one day that the talks are fine and the other day (the war) begins, that’s hard to comprehend,” he said.
Correction: An earlier version of this post misspelled the French president’s name.
Israeli military says it intercepted rockets launched from Lebanon
The Israeli military said it detected several rockets crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory early Wednesday local time and intercepted most of them.
Sirens had sounded in northern Israel ahead of the fire, the military said.
“The majority of the projectiles were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force, and an additional projectile fell in the area. No injuries were reported,” the military added.
Why China may benefit from Trump's call to safeguard Strait of Hormuz
As the conflict with Iran widens, global shipping costs are surging.
Supertanker costs in the Middle East have reached record highs, prompting both the US and China to call for the safeguarding of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait is the narrow channel off the coast of Iran that carries 20% of global oil consumption as well as massive quantities of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Iran has vowed to attack any ship that tries to pass through the strait. Vessels in the area have also been hit by strikes.
Shipping through the strait has almost completely stopped. Ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform reveals a virtually empty Strait of Hormuz.
Fears of a prolonged closure have caused oil and natural gas prices to jump, and world powers want to stabilize the markets.
On Tuesday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said: “China urges all parties to stop the military operations at once, avoid further escalation, keep the shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz safe, and prevent further impact on the global economy.”
US President Donald Trump went further, offering shipping insurance and guarantees. On Truth Social, he declared: “No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD.”
Trump also said the US Navy would escort oil tankers in the Gulf.
The details are unclear, but China may have the most to gain. China is the world’s largest importer of crude and the world’s biggest buyer of Iranian oil.
It’s a point not lost on Trump’s political foes. On his X account, Democratic lawmaker Joaquin Castro points out: “This certainly looks like the United States will be subsidizing and protecting oil shipments to China.”
And it’s not just China. Asia sources a whopping 60% of its oil from the Middle East.
China and Japan are also the world’s largest importers of LNG.
Israel's military orders further evacuations in southern Lebanon
Israel’s military has published a new evacuation order for more than a dozen Lebanese villages and towns, warning strikes were imminent.
The latest list named 16 places mostly in southern Lebanon, where the military is targeting Hezbollah positions, and told residents to stay at least 1,000 meters away.
“Preserve your safety and that of your loved ones: evacuate immediately and do not return to the villages and towns at this stage,” the Israel Defense Forces said in the warning.
Israeli air defenses working to intercept Iranian missiles, IDF says
Iran has launched missiles towards Israel, where air defenses are “operating to intercept the threat,” the Israel Defense Forces said early Wednesday morning local time.
Israel’s Home Front Command has sent “a precautionary directive” directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas, it added.
Sirens were reported to have sounded around the same time in southern Israel.
50 killed in Lebanon as Israeli attacks continue, health ministry says
At least 50 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon in the past two days, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.
At least 335 people have been wounded in that time, the ministry added in a statement.
Israeli bombardments in Lebanon continued Wednesday morning. An airstrike in Aramoun, south of the capital Beirut, killed at least six people and wounded eight in the early hours, the ministry reported.
Saudi intercepts and destroys nine drones, state media says
Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed nine drones that entered its airspace, state media reporrted early Wednesday local time.
The report from the Saudi Press Agency, which was attributed to the defense ministry spokesman, said the drones were destroyed “immediately” upon entering the kingdom’s airspace.
It did not say whether any casualties or damage to infrastructure had resulted.
Thailand tells residents not to panic buy gas amid long lines of vehicles at petrol stations
The ripple effects of the US-Israeli war with Iran are being felt across the world including in Thailand where authorities are urging its government offices to reduce energy consumption and urging residents not to indulge in panic buying and hoarding fuel.
Long snaking lines of vehicles were seen at gas stations on Tuesday amid worries that the widening conflict in the Middle East will disrupt shipping lines and further increase prices.
“Requesting public cooperation to refrain from hoarding fuel; confirming that supplies are sufficient to meet demand,” the Southeast Asian nation’s energy ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Thai minister of defense said: “Reduce the frequency of vehicle use for transportation or official missions by organizing shared trips (carpooling) or utilizing smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles.”
Authorities are also encouraging government office employees to consider working from home to “reduce overall national fuel and energy consumption,” the statement said.
Long lines of cars were seen at gas stations on Tuesday in Bangkok, with the government encouraging residents to avoid panic buying and hoarding fuel.
WHO chief says 3 paramedics killed in Lebanon, warns conflict "increasingly impacting health services"
Three paramedics were killed in Lebanon Tuesday, the head of the World Health Organization said, adding that the widening conflict in the Middle East is “increasingly impacting health services throughout the region.”
“I am saddened by the developments in Lebanon today where three paramedics were killed and another six injured while recovering people injured by explosions in the southern Tyre district,” WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.
“The risk that more health workers will count among the casualties is high,” Tedros said, adding that paramedics, doctors and nurses must be allowed to carry out their “life-saving work.”
Girl killed in Kuwait after air defenses intercept "hostile aerial targets," state media reports
Kuwait intercepted “several hostile aerial targets” early Wednesday morning, with debris landing on a home and causing injuries, according to state-run Kuwait News Agency, citing the country’s defense ministry.
The aerial targets were “detected and intercepted within Kuwaiti airspace early this morning,” and destroyed, according to the news agency. Debris then fell on a residential building, causing injuries and property damage.
In a later post, the news agency cited the country’s health ministry as saying an 11-year-old girl had “died from injuries sustained when shrapnel fell on a residential area,” and that four of her family members were undergoing “medical evaluation.”
Kuwait has fended off hundreds of drones and missiles since the latest conflict began, with strikes targeting energy infrastructure and the US embasst. Three US F-15 fighter jets were accidentally shot down on Monday by Kuwaiti air defenses, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
CNN's Erin Burnett takes shelter as sirens sound in Tel Aviv
Air raid sirens were heard in Tel Aviv as Israel launched interceptors against incoming missiles. CNN’s Erin Burnett was forced to take cover.
Air raid sirens were heard in Tel Aviv as Israel launched interceptors against incoming missiles. Watch as CNN's Erin Burnett takes cover.
Just 2 oil and chemical tankers transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday
The war in Iran has caused maritime traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz to crawl to a near halt. Just two oil and chemical tankers transited through the waterway on Monday, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea data shared with CNN.
That’s down from five oil and chemical vessels that went through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following the start of the war on Saturday.
Normally, about 60 oil and chemical vessels flow through the Strait of Hormuz, carrying about a fifth of the oil the world consumes each day.
Iranian forces have threatened to attack ships near the Strait of Hormuz and insurers have canceled war coverage for vessels in the waters near Iran.
The situation in the Strait of Hormuz has helped send world oil prices skyrocketing this week and analysts warn of further spikes if traffic does not resume soon.
Beyond oil and chemical vessels, S&P said seven other vessels went through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. That’s down from 20 on Sunday and about 75 on a normal day.
Israeli paramedics race to scene of Iranian strike
From an underground command center, Israel’s emergency medical services are prepared to respond to Iranian ballistic missile attacks. CNN’s Jeremy Diamond reports.
From an underground command center, Israel’s emergency medical services are prepared to respond to Iranian ballistic missile attacks. CNN’s Jeremy Diamond visited the Magen David Adom dispatch center as Iran fired more missiles at Israel.
CIA station in Saudi Arabia damaged in Monday’s suspected Iranian drone strike
The CIA station in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was also hit in Monday’s suspected Iranian drone strike on the US Embassy there, according to a source familiar with the matter.
There were no casualties, though there was significant damage to the building, which is in the same complex as the embassy, the source said.
The Washington Post first reported that the station was impacted in the strike. The CIA declined to comment on the matter.
CNN previously reported that two suspected Iranian drones had struck the embassy, which the Saudi defense minister said caused “limited fire and minor material damages.” No injuries were initially reported, a source familiar with the matter told CNN at the time.
An additional two suspected Iranian drones struck “at or near” the embassy, another source familiar with the matter said Monday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later said it had begun efforts to destroy “American political centers” in the region.
“The explosion at the Washington embassy in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is a move in this direction,” the IRGC posted on Telegram.
