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 hit Iran airport: Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport caught fire after it was hit by airstrikes, video shows. In Lebanon, the IDF said it struck an Iranian “command center” in Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood, among other targets.
• 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.
In Iranian Kurdish camp, war is a reality even before the much-vaunted offensive
There’s an eerie silence in the streets of the Iranian Kurdish Azadi camp in Northern Iraq. The roads are empty, the windows boarded shut and in the heart of the camp, at the newish-looking colorful playground, there is no laughter.
Since it was revealed that the CIA was working to arm Iranian Kurdish groups ahead of a ground offensive into western Iran, camps like this one, belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), have become a regular target for not just Iranian drones but also ballistic missiles.
One of the KDPI leaders, Amanj Zibaee, shows us the site of one of those strikes, near the camp’s medical facility.
“No military forces here, nobody, no one,” Zibaee says. “But sure, after the start of this war we had some fighters just to guard and keep our people safe.”
Zibaee says these attacks by Iran have intensified in number and strength over the past few days but they are not a novelty for a group well accustomed to Iranian ire.
The KDPI is part of a coalition of six Iranian Kurdish groups, based in Iraqi Kurdistan, that formed an alliance just days before the US and Israel started bombing Iran. They say they are willing to fight for their objectives of greater rights and autonomy, but the group’s deputy secretary-general, Mustafa Mawlwdi, says they need more guarantees – including weapons – from President Donald Trump and his administration.
“Now Trump is saying if the [Iranian] Kurds go to Iran he would support them,” Mawlwdi explained. “But speaking only is not enough. With only words neither us or anyone else would do it.”
Iran has renewed threats that “all facilities of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq” will be “extensively targeted,” if a single Iranian Kurdish fighter crosses the border, leaving the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government “very worried.”
Tehran certainly seems intent on showing it’s paying attention. A few hours after we left, another message: Iran fired another two missiles and three drones toward the camp.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports live from Tehran
CNN’s Fred Pleitgen and photojournalist Claudia Otto were the first journalists from a US network to get on the ground in Tehran.
CNN’s Erin Burnett, who is reporting out of Tel Aviv, Israel, spoke live tonight to Pleitgen from the Iranian capital.
CNN operates in Iran only with government permission.
US has struck more than 3,000 targets inside Iran, CENTCOM says
The US military has struck more than 3,000 targets inside Iran since launching Operation “Epic Fury” last weekend, Central Command said.
The strikes have targeted ballistic missile sites, command centers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and “military communications capabilities,” among others, Central Command said on Friday in a post on X.
The strikes had “damaged or destroyed” 43 Iranian ships, it added.
White House splices Iran war footage with clips from video games and movies
The White House posted videos of Iran war footage spliced with clips from video games, Hollywood movies and TV shows, including Call of Duty and “Iron Man.”
CNN’s Jake Tapper reports:
Tehran's Mehrabad Airport on fire as airstrikes target Iran
Airstrikes hit the Iranian capital in the early hours of Saturday, state media reported.
A video circulating on social media and geolocated by CNN showed Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport on fire after the strikes.
Iran’s state broadcaster reported that explosions were heard and smoke was seen in the eastern and western parts of Tehran.
Earlier, the Israeli military announced that it was carrying out a new wave of attacks on Tehran.
Meanwhile, Iran launched strikes at Tel Aviv, Fars News reported.
A CNN team in Tel Aviv witnessed explosions in the sky.
And in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Defense said four drones were recently intercepted and destroyed as they headed toward the Shaybah oil field.
"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.
