Where things stand
• Onslaught against Iran: Israel launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran, after it said it was targeting Tehran’s energy resources. A CNN team in Tehran reported blackened rainwater fell Sunday morning after fuel storage sites were hit.
• Gulf attacks continue: Countries across the Persian Gulf reported aerial attacks and interceptions. In Bahrain, three people were injured while Kuwait said a government building and fuel depot were struck.
• Mixed signals: There have been conflicting statements from top Iranian officials underscoring possible rifts within the leadership. Read CNN’s analysis on Tehran’s messaging.
• Trump dismisses threats: US President Donald Trump brushed aside threats from Iran’s top security official, saying “I couldn’t care less.” He had signaled that attacks on Iran will intensify this weekend.
• China weighs in: Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for an end to the conflict, warning that the “flames of war” risk spreading.
Iranian official says Trump is "burning America's interests"
A prominent Iranian official has accused President Donald Trump of “burning America’s interests” and warned that global oil supplies risk being irrevocably damaged.
“If the war continues like this, there’ll be neither a way to sell oil nor the capacity to produce it,” Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, wrote on X.
Gulf nations report fresh strikes on Sunday morning
Countries across the Persian Gulf reported a new wave of drone and missile strikes on Sunday morning.
The Kuwaiti Army said that a “wave of hostile drones” targeted fuel storage at the Kuwait International Airport on Sunday local time, and that shrapnel and debris from interceptions had damaged some civilian infrastructure. The armed forces also intercepted a number of ballistic missiles, state media reported.
Kuwait’s Public Institution for Social Security building was hit in a drone strike, according to state-run media. Footage geolocated by CNN showed the roughly 22-story building in flames in the early hours. State media said there were no injuries.
Two Kuwaiti border security personnel were killed on Sunday morning “while performing their national duty,” state media reported, without giving other details. It’s not clear if the incident was related to the strikes at the airport and government building.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense has also said it endured drone attacks, intercepting at least 21 drones in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Across the King Fahd Causeway in Bahrain, the Interior Ministry said three people were wounded and a university building was damaged by falling “missile fragments.” A water desalination plant was also damaged, it said.
Air defenses in the UAE were “currently responding to a missile threat,” the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority wrote in a post on X early Sunday.
The various drone and missile attacks come after Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to Gulf nations on Saturday for the many drone and missile attacks of the past week on US bases in the region, saying Iran would stop striking its neighbors unless it came under attack.
Pezeshkian’s office later clarified that he meant “if regional countries do not cooperate in America’s attack on us, we will not attack them.”
This post has been updated with additional information.
Iran's infrastructure is under attack in a fresh wave of strikes. Here's what we know
Israel has launched a fresh wave of attacks on infrastructure across Iran, its military said early Sunday.
Catch up on the headlines:
Oil storage sites targeted: Israel has begun striking oil storage sites in Iran as part of the next phase of the war, an Israeli source said. CNN’s team in Tehran reported that blackened rainwater fell after fuel storage sites were hit. The Israel Defense Forces also said it hit an unspecified number of Iran’s F-14 fighter jets.
Gulf states repel attacks: Countries across the Persian Gulf reported a new wave of drone and missile strikes. In Kuwait, a government building was hit, as well as fuel depots at its international airport. The UAE said air defenses were “currently responding to a missile threat.”
Israel’s main airport resumes flights: Around 2,000 travelers are set to depart on 40 scheduled flights from Ben Gurion, in the first outbound flights from the airport since the war began.
Trump dismisses threats: US President Donald Trump brushed aside threats from Iran’s top security official, saying “I couldn’t care less.” Iran’s Ali Larijani had vowed to retaliate against the president, saying Iran “will not let Trump go,” and that he “must pay the price.”
Foreign leaders respond: Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani warned in a call with Trump that the ongoing escalation in the war could have “dangerous repercussions” for the world. China’s foreign minister Wang Yi reiterated Beijing’s call for an immediate ceasefire and warned of the “spread of the flames of war.”
Israeli strikes hit Iran's fighter jets, IDF says
Strikes by Israel’s Air Force hit an unspecified number of Iran’s F-14 fighter jets at the Isfahan airport on Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The Israeli Air Force also targeted Iran’s detection and air defense systems, the IDF added.
It will “continue to target all systems of the Iranian terror regime across Iran and will expand its aerial superiority,” the Israeli military said.
The latest round of strikes came a day after the Israeli military took out 16 aircraft belonging to the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps at the Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, according to the IDF.
Blackened rain falls on Tehran, reports CNN's Fred Pleitgen
Tehran’s nearly 10 million people have woken to a morning overcast by thick black clouds after Israeli strikes hit Iran’s oil storage sites, CNN’s Fred Pleitgen reports from the capital.
“You can see that the rain, the rainwater is actually black – also saturated, it appears, with oil,” Pleitgen reported.
“So that’s what’s coming down this morning, this sort of oil-filled rain that we have right now on the Iranian capital, after the strikes took place.”
The Israeli military said it struck fuel sites in Tehran on Saturday evening that distribute fuel “to various consumers, including military entities in Iran.”
Video from Reuters also showed flames and smoke rising from the Shahran oil refinery in Tehran.
“This is a significant strike that constitutes an additional step in deepening the damage to the military infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
CNN is able to report in Iran only with the Iranian government’s permission.
Americans express concerns about the war's impact on gas prices
Residents filling up yesterday at an Arco gas station in Atlanta’s upscale Buckhead neighborhood expressed concern about both the war with Iran and the impact it’s having on gas prices.
Tracy Scott, a schoolteacher who said she also drives Uber to make ends meet, said she feels the Trump administration made the decision to go to war without considering the impact it may have on lower- and middle-class people.
Tamira Moncur, an Atlanta resident who is a part-time teacher and Lyft driver, called the spike in gas prices “startling.” She told CNN that a coworker had warned her earlier in the week to fill up before prices climbed further.
A man who declined to provide his name said that, while he’s concerned about rising gas prices and inflation, he fully supports Trump’s decision to attack Iran, even if it means paying more at the pump. “We must support our troops,” he said.
How Iranians are working around the loss of internet access
Iran is experiencing a near total internet blackout — and has been for more than a week.
See how residents are creating communication networks among themselves to work around the connectivity issues:
In the midst of war, Iranians are still dealing with the internet blackout limiting their access to loved ones, information and critical news. CNN's Leila Gharagozlou spoke to Iranians who have created networks of communications among themselves in an effort to work around the blackout.
After Iran and Venezuela, North Korea's Kim Jong Un must decide how to handle Trump
Last weekend, North Korean state media condemned the United States and Israel for launching a “war of aggression” against Iran, but did not report the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with dozens of members of Iran’s top leadership.
That omission was not accidental. North Korea’s political system is built around the near-mythic authority and invulnerability of its leader. Publicly broadcasting the violent removal of another supreme leader would introduce a dangerous precedent. It would remind North Korean citizens that even the most powerful figure in a tightly controlled state can be tracked, targeted and eliminated. That is not a narrative Pyongyang has any incentive to circulate at home.
Indeed, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be asking himself if the time has come to pick up the phone and call US President Donald Trump. As the US and Israel press on with their military campaign that plunged the Middle East into crisis, Kim and his small circle of party and military officials who oversee national security are undoubtedly analyzing every aspect of the US military operation. And they are certainly taking note of Trump’s ability to pivot quickly from diplomacy to force.
Trump is expected back in Asia later this month for a summit with China’s Xi Jinping. While there is no word of any plans for a meeting with Kim while in the region, Chad O’Carroll, founder and CEO of Korea Risk Group, a research group that closely tracks North Korea and publisher of NK News, says he would not rule it out.
China warns "flames of war" spreading, calls on US to help manage differences
China’s top diplomat cast his country as a defender of peace and stability as war in Iran rages, while striking a conciliatory tone towards the United States ahead of a highly anticipated summit between the two nation’s leaders.
“This was a war that should never have happened, and a war that benefited no one,” Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, said at a Sunday news briefing on the sidelines of the annual assembly of China’s rubber-stamp legislature.
Wang, touting China as “the world’s most important force of peace, stability and justice,” reiterated Beijing’s call for an immediate ceasefire to “prevent the situation from escalating and avoid the spillover and spread of the flames of war.”
“All parties should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible and resolve their differences through equal dialogue,” he added.
China’s growing concern about the war with Iran comes as its top leader Xi Jinping prepares to host US President Donald Trump in Beijing for crucial talks between the world’s two largest economies toward the end of this month.
Trump brushes aside Iranian official's threat: "I couldn't care less"
US President Donald Trump on Saturday brushed aside threats from Iran’s top security official, dismissing warnings that he could “pay the price” for the war in the Middle East.
In a phone interview with CBS News, Trump reacted to comments by Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who has emerged as a prominent figure in Tehran since the February 28 killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The president said the military campaign would continue as he demands Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” portraying Iran’s leaders as weakened and diminished.
“He intended to take over the Middle East and he’s conceded and surrendered to all of those countries because of me,” Trump said in the CBS interview. “He’s already surrendered to all of the Middle Eastern countries because he was trying to take over the entire Middle East.”
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, earlier appeared to soften Tehran’s posture, issuing remarks apologizing for Iranian strikes on Gulf states. But in a later “explanation,” his office vowed to continue striking US targets in the region.
Qatari emir warns war escalation will create "dangerous repercussions" in phone call with Trump
Qatar’s leader has warned in a call with US President Donald Trump that the ongoing escalation in the war between Iran and the United States and Israel could have “dangerous repercussions” for the world.
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani held a phone call with Trump on Saturday, the country’s official Qatar News Agency reported.
“The call dealt with discussing the latest developments in light of the continued and unjustified Iranian attacks on Qatar and countries in the region, in addition to efforts made to contain the current escalation,” the readout said.
He also said his country will not hesitate to defend its sovereignty, security and national interest, the news agency reported, adding that both the US and Qatar concluded on “supporting political avenues that could address current tensions.”
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.
For context: Qatar hosts the biggest US military installation in the Middle East and has faced a barrage of missiles from Iran as fighting escalated in the region. Earlier this week, Qatari planes shot down Iranian bombers minutes before they were about to strike the US military base, sources previously told CNN.
Iran’s president apologized on Saturday for strikes on other Gulf states, only to backtrack shortly after following criticism from other Iranian leaders. Aerial attacks have continued against Gulf countries that host US troops.
Qatar is a major investor in the US and the emir has long been close to Trump.
Last year Qatar gave Trump a Boeing 747 aircraft. The luxury jet is being converted into a new Air Force One by the US Air Force, expected to be delivered this summer.
Together with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Qatar pledged to invest around three trillion dollars in the US economy when Trump visited the region last year.
Amid airstrikes and anger, CNN reports on how a tense Lebanon has been dragged into war
CNN’s Matthew Chance reports from Beirut, where he and his team are navigating an increasingly unpredictable environment as Lebanon is dragged into the Iran war.
CNN’s Matthew Chance reports from Beirut where he and his team are navigating an increasingly unpredictable environment as Lebanon is dragged into the Iran war.
Iran’s mixed messages cloud next steps in war
Conflicting statements and scattered messaging from Iranian officials on Saturday underscored a possible divide within Tehran’s ruling establishment following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued remarks apologizing for Iranian strikes on Gulf states. He backtracked shortly after following criticism from other Iranian leaders. Countries in the Persian Gulf reported airstrikes and interceptions early Sunday morning.
Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani gave a televised address to the nation later on Saturday, calling for unity and denying leadership rifts. He also said US President Donald Trump must “pay the price” for war.
The shifting tones reflect deep-seated competing pressures inside Iran’s political system.
While hardliners seek revenge over the killing of Khamenei, pragmatists still hope diplomatic efforts can resolve the conflict, Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute, told CNN.
“There have always been factions, rivalries and competition inside the Islamic Republic,” Vatanka said. “That’s true today as well.”
This comes as reports that Iran’s Assembly of Experts is set to choose their next supreme leader soon. But the rush to establish a new leader is not necessarily operational. “The Supreme Leader is more of a symbolic move to basically tell the regime base that nothing has changed fundamentally, that the Islamic Republic is still standing,” Vatanka said.
Iran has already established mechanisms to function without an immediate permanent successor. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has effectively shaped strategic decisions for at least two decades, will ensure no immediate personnel vacuum halts operations. They will also play the decisive role in any successor selection and broader policy direction, Vatanka explains.
Vatanka said the choice of the new supreme leader is more about what the IRGC wants to show to the rest of the world and the Iranian public. “It won’t amount to much in practice, but at least they can pretend that they care about hearing people’s expressions of frustration,” he explained, referring to anti-government protests which broke out in Iran earlier this year.
Israel unleashes fresh strikes against Iran
Israel has launched a fresh wave of attacks on infrastructure across Iran, its military said early Sunday.
“The IDF has initiated a wave of strikes targeting the Iranian terror regime military infrastructure across Iran,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Israel's main airport resumes flight departures, with thousands set to to take off today
Passengers are queuing up and checking in for the first outbound flights from Israel’s main airport since the war with Iran began.
Around 2,000 travelers are set to depart on 40 scheduled flights from Ben Gurion Airport throughout Sunday, an airport authority spokesperson told CNN.
Footage shows passengers checking in their luggage and queueing for security checks at the terminal, devoid of its usual bustle.
It follows earlier efforts to bring air passengers into Israel, including Israeli flag carrier El Al’s first rescue flight from Athens that landed Thursday morning. On Friday, the airline announced it would begin carrying outbound passengers, limited to 70 per flight, starting Sunday.
Trump signaled attacks on Iran could intensify this weekend. Here are his other comments
US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters on board Air Force One on Saturday and signaled that attacks on Iran will intensify this weekend.
He threatened to escalate the conflict, saying the US will strike Iran “very hard.” Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, vowed to retaliate and that the US president “must pay the price.”
Here are some of Trump’s other comments:
On a possible ground offensive: Trump said US troops could “possibly” be sent on the ground in Iran but there would have to be a “very good reason.”
On Iran’s supreme leader: He reiterated that he wants to be involved in the selection of Iran’s next leader, saying he doesn’t “want to come back every 10 years.”
On Kurds: Trump said the US does not want Iranian Kurdish groups involved in the war, contradicting previous efforts by the CIA, reported by CNN, to arm them in the hopes of sparking an uprising.
On fallen US troops: Trump attended the dignified transfer of the six service members killed this week in Kuwait. Asked whether he thought he would have to attend more dignified transfers, he said, “I’m sure. I hate to… but it’s a part of war.”
On strike on Iran girls’ school: Trump blamed Iran for the strike on an elementary school in southern Iran that killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers, contradicting analyses from CNN, other media outlets and experts that suggested the US military was likely responsible.
It's early morning in the Middle East. Here are the headlines
Israel’s onslaught against Iran has entered a new phase, targeting energy resources in the country.
Here’s what to know on the ninth day of the conflict.
- Iranian oil targeted: Israel has begun striking oil storage sites in Iran as part of the next phase of the war, an Israeli source said. A huge fire was seen in the vicinity of a fuel storage site in Tehran.
- ‘Surprises prepared’: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel and the US have achieved “almost complete control” over Iranian skies, and that there are “many more targets and surprises prepared.”
- Gulf attacks continue: Countries across the Persian Gulf reported airstrikes and interceptions heading into early Sunday morning. The attacks come despite Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologizing to Gulf nations, saying Iran would stop striking its neighbors unless it came under attack.
- Mixed messages: Conflicting statements from Iranian officials underscore possible rifts within the leadership following Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death. While Pezeshkian apologized for attacks in neighboring nations, in a later “explanation,” his office vowed to continue striking US targets in the region.
- ‘Quagmire’: Iran’s top security official said Trump’s war against Iran is the result of his “international miscalculation,” in that Trump thought he could repeat the Venezuela model in Iran. In an interview broadcast on Iranian state TV, Ali Larijani said the US is now “stuck in the quagmire of its own miscalculations,” and that Trump had failed to achieve his aims through strikes on Iran.
- Central Beirut hit: At least four people have been killed and 10 others wounded after an Israeli strike hit a hotel in central Beirut, Reuters reported, citing Lebanon’s health ministry. The attack notably hit the heart of Beirut, rather than the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs where most of the recent Israeli airstrikes have taken place.
- Embassy hit: The US embassy in Oslo sustained minor damage after it was hit by an explosion, Norwegian police said. No injuries were reported.
- China’s response: Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for an end to the conflict, warning that the “flames of war” risk spreading. China’s growing concern about the war comes as its leader Xi Jinping prepares to host Trump in Beijing for crucial talks.
