Here's the latest
• Trump on Iran: US President Donald Trump said there will be no deal with Iran until “unconditional surrender.” The president also told CNN he’s not concerned whether Iran becomes a democratic state, and he is seeking leadership that will treat the US, Israel and Middle East allies well.
• UN expresses concerns: UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for serious diplomatic negotiations to stop the fighting, warning “the situation could spiral beyond anyone’s control.”
• Strikes in Lebanon: The Israel Defense Forces said it struck an Iranian “command center” in Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood, among other targets. The number of people displaced in Lebanon since Israel renewed strikes is close to half a million, a refugee organization said.
• Moscow-Tehran talks: Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke today and “agreed to continue contacts,” Russian state news agency TASS reported.
"Extremely likely" gas prices will keep rising due to the war, says analyst
Gas prices have spiked to the highest in the 11 months before the war with Iran, even though the Trump administration said prices were much lower than they had been.
Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, talks about what could happen in the coming days on “The Lead.”
Trump deflects when asked about reports of Russia providing intel to Iran
President Donald Trump deflected Friday when asked about reports, including from CNN, that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of American troops, ships and aircraft.
“What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else,” the president told Fox News’ Peter Doocy during a White House event on college sports.
Russia is providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of US troops, ships and aircraft, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting — the first indication Moscow has sought to get involved in the conflict. CNN’s Natasha Bertrand reports.
Asked about the same reports, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that the president is “well aware of who’s talking to who.”
“We’re tracking everything,” Hegseth said in the interview airing Sunday.
“The American people can rest assured their commander-in-chief is well aware of who’s talking to who,” he added. “And anything that shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s in public or back-channeled, is being confronted and confronted strongly.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Friday that the prospect of Russia sharing intelligence with Iran is “clearly” not making a difference in the war with Iran.
“It clearly is not making a difference with respect to the military operations in Iran, because we are completely decimating them,” Leavitt told CNN’s Kristen Holmes.
We’re a week into the war. Here’s what you should know
US President Donald Trump said there will be no deal with Iran until “unconditional surrender.”
And what would that look like? The president will decide, his spokesperson said.
Catch up on other headlines here:
- CNN interview: Trump said Iran’s leadership has been “neutered” and he’s looking for new leadership that will treat the United States and Israel well, even if that’s a religious leader and it’s not a democratic state. He expressed confidence in the ease of picking a new leader — which he’s said he must be involved in — and again compared the mission to Venezuela, where the US captured Nicolás Maduro earlier this year and put his deputy in power.
- US gas prices: The president suggested he wasn’t worried about rising gas prices in the US. But US retail gas prices, already up 34 cents a gallon since the start of the latest war in the Middle East, could rise as high as $3.90 a gallon later this month, according to an oil analyst.
- On the ground: The Israel Defense Forces said it struck an Iranian “command center” in Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood, among other targets. Hours after the US Embassy in Baghdad warned that hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan could be targeted by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, a drone exploded near a hotel in Erbil. And a security force headquarters belonging to the Kurdish armed group Kurdistan Freedom Party was struck by a drone attack, according to Iranian state media and confirmed by a spokesperson for the group.
- US and Spanish tensions: Tensions between the US and Spain are running high after Spanish President Pedro Sánchez denied a US request to use two Spanish bases where the US has operated for years for the operation against Iran. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has emerged as Europe’s harshest critic of the war, defended his decision to send a warship to help defend Cyprus, even as he doubled down on his criticism of the joint Israeli-US strikes.
- Displaced people: The number of people displaced in Lebanon after Israel renewed strikes and issued sweeping evacuation orders is close to half a million, the Norwegian Refugee Council estimated.
- Wounded soldiers: Eight Israeli soldiers have been injured, including five who were seriously wounded, by projectile fire from militant group Hezbollah toward Israeli territory near the border with Lebanon on Friday, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Also the Ghanaian Armed Forces said two of their soldiers serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, were “critically injured” after their position came under missile fire.
- Russia’s role: Russia is providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of American troops, ships and aircraft, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue, the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war. Also, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call during which they “agreed to continue contacts,” Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the Kremlin.
- CNN investigation: The impact of the US and Israeli airstrikes across Iran has extended beyond hitting security infrastructure, also damaging nearby civilian sites including hospitals.
CNN’s Donald Judd, Issy Ronald, Patrick Sung Cuadrado, Dana Bash, Frederik Pleitgen, Chris Isidore, Evan John, Tamar Michaelis, Sophie Tanno, Charlotte Reck, Natasha Bertrand, Jim Sciutto, Zachary Cohen and Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting.
US-Israeli bombs strike dangerously close to civilian sites, CNN Investigates finds
The impact of the US and Israeli airstrikes across Iran has extended beyond hitting security infrastructure, also damaging nearby civilian sites including hospitals, a CNN investigation has found.
CNN found one impact crater measuring at least 40 feet (12 meters) wide at the offices of Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB in Tehran. Seen on satellite imagery, its diameter is consistent with those left by 2,000-pound bombs. On detonation, this weapon sprays white-hot metal fragments that can be lethal up to 1,000 feet away.
That crater lies just 100ft away from the Gandhi Hospital. Verified videos from the strike’s aftermath show shattered glass, collapsed walls and patients – including babies – being evacuated from the facility. Satellite imagery shows a communications mast at the broadcasting complex wiped out after the attack.
Wes Bryant, a former US special operations tactical air controller, told CNN there’s “no way this was not at least something equivalent to a 2,000-pound bomb.”
Strikes also hit the police headquarters, flattening buildings, per satellite images. Videos show damage to several other hospitals in the immediate neighborhood. Bryant assessed this indicated the use of multiple munitions with a payload of 500 pounds or lower.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization confirmed it had verified 13 strikes on Iranian healthcare facilities.
A school in southern Iran was also directly struck, killing more than 160 students and staff, state media reported. It sits roughly 200ft from an Iranian military base, which was also hit. Neither the US nor Israel has acknowledged responsibility for that strike. A gymnasium in Fars province was also struck; Iranian media reported around 20 volleyball players were inside at the time. The target was unclear, but a police station lies nearby.
CNN has approached the US and Israeli militaries for comment on these strikes and asked what steps they are taking to prevent civilian harm.
French President Macron stresses the need to “contain the escalation in the region”
French President Emmanuel Macron and his Syrian counterpart Ahmed Al-Sharaa held a phone call Friday during which they stressed Syria’s sovereignty amid the ongoing regional conflict, according to a statement from the Syrian Presidency and an X post by Macron.
According to the statement, the two leaders condemned the Iranian attacks that “targeted some countries in the region without justification,” and stressed the need to “contain the escalation in the region” to prevent further tensions and ensure “regional security and stability.”
During the call, Al-Sharaa told Macron that the recent deployment of troops along the Syrian-Lebanese border were “defensive reinforcements” aimed at protecting the border and preventing weapon smuggling between the two countries, the statement added.
“The ongoing destabilizations leave no room for terrorism. France will ensure this,” Macron said in his post.
Macron also spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to reiterate that Lebanon’s territorial integrity “must be respected,” and condemn the “unacceptable attack” against a UN position in Lebanon. “The United Nations Force in Lebanon plays a key role in stabilization in southern Lebanon,” his X post read.
For context: The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) told CNN in a statement that three peacekeepers were injured inside their base in southern Lebanon during “heavy firing” Friday evening.
Iranian minister says European countries will be "targets" if they join US-Israeli attacks
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi on Friday said European countries that join attacks against Iran will be “legitimate targets” for Tehran.
Asked about some European countries that are providing logistical support to the US, Takht-Ravanchi said Iran has “already informed the Europeans and everybody else that they should be careful not to be involved in this war of aggression against Iran,” although he did not name specific countries.
Regarding attacks on other countries in the Gulf region, the Iranian deputy foreign minister said: “We informed our friends, our neighbors, before this war of aggression started last week that if America engages in a hostile act against Iran, [then] definitely the American bases, the American assets, are legitimate targets, wherever they are in our neighborhood.”
He also criticized the United States for abandoning diplomatic talks, arguing that Iran was “negotiating in good faith” in the week before the US and Israel launched attacks.
Putin and his Iranian counterpart "agreed to continue contacts," Kremlin says
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call on Friday during which they “agreed to continue contacts,” the Kremlin said.
The Russian news agency said it marks the first public announcement of contact at the presidential level since the US and Israeli attack on Iran.
Iran’s state media Fars news said Putin expressed condolences for the death of Iran’s supreme leader, and “emphasized the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Middle East and a return to the path of political and diplomatic settlement as soon as possible.”
Putin also told Pezeshkian that he is in “constant contact” with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, according to Fars news.
For context: According to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue, Russia is providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of US troops, ships and aircraft. Much of the intelligence Russia has shared with Iran has been imagery from Moscow’s sophisticated constellation of overhead satellites, one of the people said.
CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Jim Sciutto, Zachary Cohen and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
Drone explodes at Erbil hotel hours after US embassy in Baghdad warns of possible attacks
Hours after the US Embassy in Baghdad warned on Friday that hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan could be targeted by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, a drone exploded near a hotel in Erbil.
The drone was one of four shot down by coalition forces over Erbil, according to the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service.
“Debris from one of the destroyed drones fell in an open area near a hotel. No casualties were reported,” it said.
The explosions came within hours of an alert by the US Embassy in Baghdad urging Americans to leave Iraq as soon as possible, saying that “Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups may seek to target hotels frequented by foreigners in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.”
“US citizens are strongly encouraged to depart as soon as they are safely able to do so, and reconsider lodging options if choosing not to depart,” the Embassy said, adding that US citizens who decide to stay in the country should be prepared to “shelter in place in a secure location for extended periods.”
A pro-Iranian Islamist militant group in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the drone attacks, warning American troops and contractors that it would continue to target hotels across the country.
A large number of contractors normally working in military bases across Iraq have been staying in hotels while Iran targets US installations in the country, including the US consulate in Erbil and the US base near the city’s international airport.
Trump says defense contractors have agreed to "quadruple production" of some weaponry
President Donald Trump said today that the defense contractors his administration met with earlier in the day have agreed to “quadruple production” of some weaponry.
“They have agreed to quadruple Production of the ‘Exquisite Class’ Weaponry in that we want to reach, as rapidly as possible, the highest levels of quantity. Expansion began three months prior to the meeting, and Plants and Production of many of these Weapons are already under way,” the president said on Truth Social.
He added that the companies in attendance for the White House meeting included the CEOs of “BAE Systems, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace, L3Harris Missile Solutions, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon.”
Trump indicated in his social media post that the group would meet again in two months.
The two Spanish bases caught in a dispute with the US over the war in Iran
Tensions between the US and Spain are running high after Spanish President Pedro Sánchez denied a US request to use two Spanish bases where the US has operated for years for the operation against Iran.
“The position of the Spanish Government can be summed up in four words: no to war,” Sánchez said Wednesday, recalling the participation of Spanish soldiers in the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
In response, US President Donald Trump threatened to suspend trade with Spain, which he argued “has absolutely nothing we need.”
Despite the recent clash, the US and Spain have a history of cooperation, as shown by their shared use of two military bases in Spanish territory.
The US Navy operates from the Rota Naval Base, located in the Bay of Cadiz, while the US Air Force operates from the Morón de la Frontera Air Base, on the outskirts of Seville.
The two bases have been key for the United States in numerous military operations, including the Gulf War (1990-1991), Yugoslavia, the invasion of Afghanistan (2001), the Iraq War (2003-2011), and recent years of conflict in the Middle East.
There are about 6,000 Americans at Rota, including military personnel, civilians, and family members, while Morón de la Frontera houses some 550 Americans, including military and civilian personnel.
Ghanaian army says two UN peacekeepers critically injured by missile fire in Lebanon
The Ghana Armed Forces said two of their soldiers serving in UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, were “critically injured” after their position came under missile fire on Friday.
In a statement issued on X, the Ghanaian army said their headquarters in southern Lebanon suffered “two missile attacks” within less than 10 minutes on Friday evening.
The statement did not specify whether the missiles were fired by Israel or Hezbollah, instead attributing them to the “fallout of the current on-going (Israel Defense Forces) and Hezbollah exchanges.”
The Ghana Armed Forces added that it had registered an official complaint with UN headquarters in New York.
In a statement to CNN, UNIFIL said “three peacekeepers were injured inside their base in Al Qawzah, southwestern Lebanon,” adding that the peacekeeper most severely injured was transferred to a hospital in Beirut for treatment, while the other two are being treated at a UNIFIL medical facility.
UNIFIL said it will investigate the circumstances of the attack.
“Any attack on UNIFIL peacekeepers constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of the Security Council Resolution 1701 and may amount to a war crime,” the statement read.
In response to questions from CNN, an Israeli military official said, “IDF is aware that a number of UNIFIL soldiers were injured. The source of the launch (i.e. who fired) is under investigation.”
The peacekeeping mission has operated in southern Lebanon for more than 45 years, made up of personnel from more than 50 countries.
During Israel’s last invasion of Lebanon in 2024, Israeli officials accused Hezbollah of operating in areas near UNIFIL positions. IDF troops also occasionally fired on peacekeepers and forcibly entered UNIFIL facilities.
CNN’s Dana Karni and Kara Fox contributed reporting.
CNN visited a Kurdish site where an Iranian missile struck. Here's what we found
An Iranian missile struck a base of Iranian Kurdish militias in Iraq’s Kurdistan. That is significant because as CNN has reported, the CIA is working to arm Iranian Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, according to multiple sources.
CNN’s Clarissa Ward shows what that means:
CNN's Clarissa Ward shows the aftermath after an Iranian missile struck a base of Iranian Kurdish militias in Iraq's Kurdistan. The CIA is working to arm Iranian Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, multiple people familiar with the plan told CNN this week.
UN chief warns that Iran war could "spiral beyond anyone’s control"
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday called for “serious diplomatic negotiations” to stop the fighting in the Middle East, warning that “the stakes could not be higher.”
“All the unlawful attacks in the Middle East and beyond are causing tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region – and pose a grave (sic) risk to the global economy, particularly to the most vulnerable people,” Guterres said in a statement.
More on the economy: Inflation could rise and economic growth slow around the world if the conflict in the Middle East drags on, economists have warned.
You’ve read about escalating strikes in the Middle East conflict. Here’s what that looks like
We’ve been bringing you reports of intensifying attacks across the Middle East, including at the Israel-Lebanon border. Watch what that means as a CNN team observes the exchanging of strikes:
A CNN team on the Israel-Lebanon border witnessed two projectiles from Lebanon striking northern Israel, as the crossfire between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies. Israel has carried out a wave of strikes in Beirut and in southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Israel says five Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded by Hezbollah fire on Friday. CNN’s Jeremy Diamond reports from the Israel-Lebanon border.
Kurdish armed group struck by drones and missiles in northern Iraq
A security force headquarters belonging to the Kurdish armed group Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) was struck by a drone attack Friday afternoon, according to Iranian state media and confirmed by a spokesperson for the group.
The base, located in northern Iraq near the city of Erbil, was targeted by two drones and two missiles and resulted in four injuries among the PAK security forces, the spokesperson said.
Footage of the attack showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the struck base.
The spokesperson could not confirm where the attacks originated from, stating that missile attacks usually come from inside Iran, while drone attacks sometimes are launched by pro-Iranian factions inside Iraq.
Since CNN reported that the CIA was working to arm Iranian Kurdish groups to foment an insurgency inside Iran, Tehran has targeted these fighters more frequently and more intensely, even employing some of its missiles.
CNN’s Vasco Cotovio contributed to this reporting.
IDF says it struck Iranian “command center” in Lebanon as death toll surpasses 200
The Israel Defense Forces said it struck an Iranian “command center” in Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood, among other targets, today as war continues to rage between Iran, Israel and the US.
The IDF said that it struck an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “Air Force command center,” and other command centers used by Hezbollah’s navy, finance unit and operating council.
“Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munition, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence,” the IDF said, adding that it had struck over 500 locations since the war began.
Israeli Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir said in a visit to northern Israel that the IDF would “not relinquish the disarming of Hezbollah” among its war aims.
At least 217 have died and 798 people have been injured in the ongoing air strikes, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported Friday, citing the Ministry of Health.
In addition to deaths and injuries, Israel’s far-reaching evacuation order, demanding residents south of Lebanon’s Litani River to move north, has resulted in more than 109,000 people in displacement shelters, according to the Lebanese government.
Trump alone will decide when Iran has "unconditionally surrendered," press secretary says
What will it look like for Iran to deliver an “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,” as President Donald Trump demanded Friday?
The president will decide, his spokeswoman said a few hours later.
“What the president means is that when he, as commander in chief of the US Armed Forces, determines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America and the goals of Operation Epic Fury has been fully realized, then Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender, whether they say it themselves or not,” she told reporters in the White House driveway.
“Frankly,” she went on, “they don’t have a lot of people to say that for them, because the United States and and the State of Israel have completely wiped out near more than 50 leaders of the former terrorist regime, including the Supreme Leader himself.”
Leavitt’s explanation, like Trump’s post from earlier in the day, stopped short of making any specific demands that Iranian leaders renounce their nuclear ambitions or terror groups.
Several US charter flights have brought back hundreds of Americans, officials say
Several US charter flights have brought back “hundreds” of Americans from the Middle East to the United States, “with additional flights scheduled to take place over the coming days, as security conditions allow,” Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson said Friday.
Johnson said the State Department’s task force had “directly assisted nearly 13,000 Americans abroad, offering security guidance and travel assistance.”
“The Department is facilitating charter flights from Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,” said a second State Department official, speaking on background to reporters Friday. They said they expected the number of flights to be in the double digits over the coming days but declined to provide a specific figure.
However, “30 to 40% of Americans are declining our charter operations at this time,” the official said, attributing it to an increasing availability of commercial flight options.
“As we’re getting people onto flights, the average is 30 to 40% of people say, ‘I have departed the region already. I want to take a different option. I’m actually not going to go today, etc,’” the official said. They said they have not heard of anyone declining a flight because they feel unsafe traveling to the airport.
The official noted that not all flights are coming back to the US. Rather, they are “going to a variety of locations where folks can arrange onward travel or directly to the United States.”
One of the charter planes that brought back Americans was the New England Patriots’ team plane, according to a post on X from Johnson. Both the Patriots and the State Department said the team was not involved in the use of the aircraft.
“One of the companies the State Department contracted for charter flights also manages the New England Patriots’ team plane. This flight was entirely paid for by the State Department,” a State Department spokesperson said.
The State Department continues to urge Americans in need of assistance in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel to complete the Crisis Intake Form. Their call line is still running 24/7 +1-202-501-4444, the official said.
UK counter-drone helicopters arrive in Cyprus
British helicopters with counter-drone capabilities have started arriving in Cyprus, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said on Friday.
After an attack on a military base in Cyprus, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that he would send the Royal Navy’s HMS Dragon warship and Wildcat helicopters to the region
Four additional Typhoon aircraft are scheduled to arrive in Qatar overnight, the defense ministry said.
The UK also had aircraft making defensive air patrols over Qatar, Jordan and the Eastern Mediterranean last night, the ministry said.
Starmer has repeatedly asserted that the UK will not join the US and Israel in taking offensive action against Iran.
