Where things stand
• Iran, Israel trade strikes: Explosions were heard in Tehran hours after dramatic footage showed the city’s Mehrabad airport in flames. The Israel Defense Forces said it used more than 80 fighter jets to carry out a “broad-scale wave of strikes” on Iran. Meanwhile, Israel is intercepting multiple waves of Iranian attacks.
• Regional conflict: Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and the UAE are continuing to repel retaliatory strikes a week into the war.
• Trump’s terms: The US military has struck more than 3,000 targets in Iran since last weekend, said Central Command. President Donald Trump raised the stakes and said there will be no deal with Iran until “unconditional surrender.”
• Fallen troops to return home: A dignified transfer for the six US service members killed in the conflict will take place today at the Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware. Trump and Vice President JD Vance are expected to attend.
Tehran will never surrender, says Iran president
Iran’s president said Saturday his country will never surrender, as its military continued to trade strikes with Israel, and aim retaliatory fire at a number of Gulf nations.
Masoud Pezeshkian spoke less than a day after US President Donald Trump said his government wouldn’t negotiate with Tehran without its “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.”
But in a televised address on state TV, Pezeshkian said: “They will take their dreams of our unconditional surrender to the grave.”
Since the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei a week ago, a three-person leadership council holds power until a successor is named. It includes Pezeshkian – a relative moderate – as well as the hardline head of the judiciary Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and senior cleric Alireza Arafi.
Iran state media shows damage to Tehran sports center
A video posted by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB on Saturday showed the damage at a sports center in south Tehran. Israel had launched an early-morning wave of attacks on Iran.
The IRIB presenter pointed to damaged rooms covered in debris and rubble, including a gym full of equipment for athletes, and an area used for martial arts training.
A library and a mosque were also “completely damaged,” said the IRIB report.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had used more than 80 fighter jets to carry out the “broad-scale wave of strikes,” which it said targeted military infrastructure including a military university and missile launch sites.
Flights to and from Dubai resume after brief suspension
Emirates has said it “will resume operations” at Dubai airport, after suspending its flights for about 30 minutes.
“Please do not go to the airport,” said an earlier statement on X by the airline, which has its home base in the city. It did not specify the reason.
But about 30 minutes later, it posted: “Emirates will resume operations. Passengers who have confirmed bookings for this afternoon’s flights may proceed to the airport.”
Dubai’s Media Office said operations at the airport had been temporarily suspended “for the safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew.” It did not elaborate on the reason for the suspension.
Flight tracker FlightRadar24 showed planes avoiding the airport, one of the world’s busiest.
Airports in the United Arab Emirates are key nodes for connecting flights all over the world. Last year, Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s hubs handled a combined 127.7 million passengers, according to official figures.
A reduced number of flights has been operating from Dubai airport since the war with Iran broke out a week ago
Shrapnel found in the ER of a Tel Aviv hospital after overnight strikes
One of Israel’s major hospitals reported finding shrapnel fragments in their emergency department plaza on Saturday, after Israeli authorities reported overnight attacks by Iran and Lebanon.
“Following the barrages toward Tel Aviv tonight, shrapnel fragments were found in the emergency department plaza of the Ichilov Medical Center,” the hospital said in a statement.
Staff and patients had sheltered in protected areas, as instructed by Israeli authorities, it added – resulting in no injuries or damage.
The hospital is located near the center of Tehran, close to other major buildings including an art museum, shopping mall and several foreign embassies.
Early Saturday morning, Lebanon had fired drones and Iran had launched missiles at Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said earlier.
Explosions heard in parts of Tehran, Iranian state media reports
Explosions can be heard in parts of the Iranian capital Tehran, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr News on Saturday.
It comes several hours after Israel launched an early morning wave of strikes on Tehran and several other locations across Iran, using more than 80 fighter jets to target military infrastructure including missile launch sites, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Footage from Tehran during those pre-dawn hours showed flames at the city’s Mehrabad airport, with Iranian state media claiming Israel had struck it. The extent of the damage to the airport is unclear. It is also not clear if the compound was struck directly. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Israel says it used 80 fighter jets in its pre-dawn strikes against Iran
Israel used more than 80 fighter jets to carry out its “broad-scale wave of strikes” on Iran during the early hours of Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The strikes targeted military infrastructure, including the Imam Hossein military university used to train Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers, the IDF said. It added that the university “contained multiple military assets.”
Other targets included an IRGC assembly compound, underground infrastructure for storing ballistic missiles, military bunkers and command centers where “senior officials of the Iranian regime were operating.” Launch sites in western and central Iran were also struck.
Footage and images from Tehran showed black smoke and the sound of explosions in the pre-dawn darkness, as well as flames seen at the city’s Mehrabad airport.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency has accused Israel of striking the airport. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment.
Why Iranian counterattacks often miss their target
Iran has fired barrages of ballistic missiles and drones across the Middle East in retaliation to Operation Epic Fury, but few have hit their target.
CNN’s Krishna Andavolu explains why:
Drone debris from Lebanon fell into Israel's Asher region, authorities say
Debris from drones that were launched from Lebanon have fallen in Israel’s Asher region, according to Israeli police.
The Israel Defense Forces said about five drones had crossed into Israel from midnight through Saturday morning.
During that same period, Iran also fired 10 missiles toward Israel, according to the IDF.
UAE says its air defense system is responding to a missile threat
Air defense systems in the United Arab Emirates are currently responding to a missile threat, the kingdom’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said on X.
“Please remain in a safe location and follow official channels for warnings and updates,” it said.
Gas prices have spiked. They'll likely 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 next on “The Lead.”
Tehran's Mehrabad airport, which was shown in flames, considered busiest in Iran
Dramatic footage showed Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport on fire after airstrikes hit the Iranian capital in the early hours of Saturday, state media reported.
The airport, which opened in 1938, is located near the center of the sprawling capital city. It is owned by the Iranian government and considered the busiest in the country.
Since 2004, most international flights have been handled by the Imam Khomeini International Airport, located outside the city. Mehrabad, however remains a crucial domestic hub.
The footage of flames emerged after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes” against Tehran in the early hours of the morning.
The extent of the damage to the airport is unclear.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency accused Israel of striking the airport. It is not clear if the compound was struck directly. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on whether it had targeted the airport.
One frequent flyer said the airport was Tehran’s “first real international airport,” recalling fond memories of families gathering to greet or say farewell to loved ones traveling to or arriving from America and airport security complimenting her wedding dress during a luggage inspection.
“We all love it… despite the fact that the airport was outdated and needed expansion and rebuilding,” they told CNN, speaking anonymously.
“It was one of those good old-fashioned, middle size airports in the Middle East, and it took us right through the main square. The staff took special pride working at the airport. It was a coveted job, and a hot job to have, as everyone was so handsome or good looking.”
Among its key routes within Iran, Mehrabad handles 94 weekly flights to Mashhad (MHD), 69 to Ahvaz (AWZ) and 51 to Shiraz (SYZ) airports, according to Flightradar24.
Other popular destinations within the country include Kish Island, Tabriz city and Kerman city.
Eugenia Yosef contributed reporting.
This post has been updated with new information.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour analyzes potential outcomes of war with Iran
More than 1,200 people have been killed so far in one week of US-Israeli bombings in Iran, according to state media.
With no exit strategy in sight, CNN’s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour analyzes how the war with Iran could play out:
With more than a thousand killed and no exit strategy in sight, CNN's chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour analyzes how the war in the Middle East could play out.
Gulf states remain in Iran's crosshairs
Countries in the Gulf continue to fend off retaliatory strikes from Iran as the conflict enters its eighth day. Here’s what we’re seeing in the Middle East on Saturday morning:
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed 20 drones approaching its massive Shaybah oil field on Saturday - part of five separate waves of attacks since midnight, according to the kingdom’s Ministry of Defense. Three missiles, launched towards the Prince Sultan Air Base, were destroyed as well as a drone east of the capital Riyadh, it added.
United Arab Emirates: Air defense systems responded to a missile threat at around 10 a.m. Saturday, the kingdom’s national emergency crisis and disaster management authority said on X. Hours earlier, the Dubai government reported a “minor incident” resulting from the fall of debris after an interception. No injuries have been reported. The UAE intercepted nine ballistic missiles and 109 drones on Friday, according to its Ministry of Defense which said its forces remains “on high alert” to deal with any incoming threats.
Bahrain: Sirens again sounded in Bahrain early this morning and residents were urged to head to the nearest safe place, its Ministry of Interior said on X. The Defense Force said it has intercepted 84 missiles and 147 drones targeting the kingdom since the war started last Saturday
The latest on what's happening in Iran and Lebanon
Israel launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes” against Tehran in the early hours of Saturday morning. It had continued hitting Beirut on Friday as well, saying it targeted Hezbollah command centers.
What has happened in the two countries:
- Onslaught on Iran: The US has struck more than 3,000 targets inside Iran in the past week, according to Central Command. Israel launched a “broad-scale wave of attacks” on Tehran in the early hours of Saturday, with explosions reported in the eastern and western parts of the capital. Dramatic footage showed Tehran’s Mehrabad airport catching fire.
- Growing toll: So far the US-Israel attacks have killed more than 1,230 people in Iran, including children, according to Iranian state media.
- Chaos and fear: Iranian residents have described living in constant terror, with streets deserted as people hide at home or flee their villages. The fear is amplified by an internet blackout – leaving many with no access to news or warning systems before the bombs come.
- Strikes on Lebanon: Israel continued hitting Beirut on Friday, saying it targeted command centers used by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The strikes have killed more than 200 people and wounded nearly 800, according to Lebanese state media.
- UN peacekeepers: Two Ghanaian soldiers serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon were “critically injured” after coming under missile fire on Friday, said the Ghanaian army. It did not specify whether the missiles were fired by Israel or Hezbollah.
- Mass displacement: Israel’s far-reaching evacuation orders and strikes in Lebanon have displaced nearly half a million residents, the Norwegian Refugee Council estimated. Official figures suggest around 100,000 are in government shelters, but this is likely a fraction of the real figure.
Iranian state media says Israel struck airport in Tehran after video showing flames
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency posted videos showing damage to Tehran in the early hours of Saturday morning after Israel launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes,” which Mehr said had struck the city’s airport.
Earlier, dramatic footage had shown flames and explosions at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport, as well as a plane on fire. It’s not clear whether it was struck directly. The extent of the damage to the airport is also unclear. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment.
“(Israel) has been attacking, and in one latest attack, it strikes West Tehran, and the Mehrabad airport,” a presenter says in the video posted by Mehr.
“In its blind (indiscriminate) attacks, it created a big hollowness in the ground as you can see in the Ayatollah Saeedi Freeway which disrupted traffic,” the video said as it showed people standing around a large hole in the road.
The video also showed huge plumes of dark smoke rising over Tehran in the distance, which it said marked “attack sites.”
Saudi Arabia repels 16 drones heading to one of its largest oil fields
Saudi Arabia has intercepted and destroyed 16 drones heading toward one of the largest oil fields in the Middle East, Shaybah, in the early hours of Saturday, according to the kingdom’s defense ministry on X.
The ministry did not elaborate on the origin of those drones.
Shaybah field, located in the remote Empty Quarter desert with few residents, is a massive oil and gas field with crude production of one million barrels per day, according to Saudi Arabia’s state-owned petroleum firm Aramco, the field’s operator.
CNN has reached out to Aramco for comment.
In 2019, the field, along with other oil facilities in the country, was the subject of large-scale drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The attack sparked a fire at Shaybah’s natural gas facility but caused no injuries or disruption to its oil operations, Aramco said at the time.
New travel corridors open for passengers flying home, to and from the Middle East
Airlines in the Middle East are offering limited flights to help stranded travelers return home, as the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to cause aviation chaos.
It comes after thousands of travelers left the Middle East on evacuation flights earlier this week.
Here’s the latest on flights to and from the region:
- United Arab Emirates: Emirates anticipates a return to 100% of its network within the coming days, the airline said Friday on X. It is currently operating a reduced flight schedule following the partial reopening of regional airspace, having carried around 30,000 passengers out of Dubai on Friday and aiming to complete another 106 daily return flights to 83 destinations on Saturday. Etihad also announced a limited flight schedule from Friday, with routes between Abu Dhabi and key cities worldwide including Atlanta, Bangkok, Hong Kong, London, Nairobi and New York.
- Kuwait: Kuwait Airways announced Saturday that it will operate flights to several destinations for residents wishing to return to Kuwait via overland routes through Saudi Arabia, provided they have a Saudi transit visa, according to the state-run Kuwait News Agency.
- Qatar: With Qatari airspace still closed, Qatar Airways has announced a relief corridor from Doha to London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, and Frankfurt to assist stranded passengers. “Priority on these flights was given to stranded passengers with families, elderly passengers, and those with urgent medical and compassionate travel needs,” the airline said Saturday on X.
- Israel: Israeli flag carrier El Al will begin carrying passengers on its outbound flights from Israel from 8 a.m. Sunday, it said on Facebook. Outbound flights are currently limited to 70 passengers each, with El Al prioritizing non-residents whose original flights were canceled. Ticket sales for outbound flights will remain closed until all affected passengers are accommodated, the airline added.
- Bahrain: Flight operations at Bahrain International Airport remain temporarily suspended due to airspace closure across the kingdom. “Operations will resume once the airspace is safely reopened,” the airport said Friday in its latest X post.
- Oman: British Airways has added more departures from Muscat to London Heathrow, with one flight leaving daily from Monday to Thursday next week. “These flights are for BA customers who are in Oman or the UAE with an existing booking,” the airline said on its website.
Drone attack leads to fire at Halliburton, KBR facilities in Iraq's Basra, Reuters reports
Fire broke out at offices and warehouses belonging to US firms Halliburton and KBR in Basra, Iraq, after a drone targeted a compound housing employees of foreign oil companies, Reuters reported, citing security sources.
Footage from the news agency showed groups of firefighters working to douse billowing flames at night.
“We can confirm that a security incident occurred at our facility in Basra, Iraq,” a spokesperson for Halliburton told CNN.
“All of our personnel have been accounted for and are safe. We are actively addressing the situation in collaboration with local Iraqi authorities and in accordance with our established safety and security procedures.”
CNN has reached out to KBR for comment.
Airport in Tehran, Red Crescent facility among buildings damaged by strikes, says nonprofit
Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, which was shown on fire in dramatic footage early Saturday morning, was among several locations targeted in strikes, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
It’s not clear if the airport was struck directly. State media had reported that the airport was attacked. The extent of the damage to the airport is also unclear.
Israel has said it launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes” early Saturday. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment.
Other targets in the past 24 hours included military or official facilities, like a police station in Tehran and barracks belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to HRANA’s notice posted on Friday evening.
But other civilian buildings were also damaged by strikes, including the Mahabad Red Crescent – a humanitarian facility – and three residential units in Tehran.
HRANA, the news branch of non-profit organization Human Rights Activists In Iran (HRAI), compiled its information on the strikes through a combination of field reports, local contacts, medical and emergency sources, and open source materials, according to its website.
The US-Israel strikes have so far killed more than 1,200 people in Iran, according to Iranian state media.
The war with Iran enters its 8th day. Here are the headlines
It’s been a week since the United States and Israel launched their war with Iran, sparking a wider conflict across the Middle East that the United Nations warns could spiral out of control.
These are the latest headlines:
- ‘Unconditional surrender’: Trump said there would be no deal with Iran except “unconditional surrender,” but didn’t lay out any specific demands. He also told CNN he’s not concerned whether Iran becomes a democratic state, as long as the new leader treats the US and Israel well – contrasting his previous calls for the Iranian public to “take over your government” and gain their “freedom.”
- UN plea: The UN chief called for serious diplomatic negotiations to stop the fighting, warning “the situation could spiral beyond anyone’s control.”
- ‘Wave of strikes’: Israel launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes” against Iran. Footage emerged showing Tehran’s Mehrabad airport in flames.
- Warning to Europe: An Iranian minister warned on Friday that if any European countries joined the US-Israel attacks on Iran, they would become “targets” for retaliation.
