What we covered here
• Mixed messages: President Trump gave conflicting replies on when the war will end. He said Amercian goals may be “pretty well complete” after telling House Republicans that “we haven’t won enough.” He added that the US has struck over 5,000 targets but leaving some “for later.”
• Asian stocks rebound: Asian stocks recovered some losses after oil prices fell below $90 a barrel. The recovery comes after the G7 said they would take “necessary measures” to stabilize the market, and Trump’s comments.
• “No room” for diplomacy: In an exclusive CNN interview, a top Iranian official said Tehran is prepared for a long war and signaled it is willing to continue attacking Persian Gulf countries.
• Uranium stockpile: Recovering Iran’s remaining highly enriched uranium believed to be underground would require a significant number of US ground troops, current and former officials told CNN.
South Korea's president says his country can't stop US from redeploying defense systems
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung has said his country cannot stop the United States from redeploying some of its weapons out of the country, but said such a move would not impact deterrence against North Korea.
His comments come after reports in local media suggested US forces were moving Patriot missile systems to the US Osan Air base near Pyeongtaek for possible shipping to the Middle East.
“It appears that there is a controversy recently over US Forces in Korea (USFK) shipping some batteries or air defense weapons out of the country,” Lee said at Tuesday’s Cabinet Meeting, without confirming the reported shipments.
When asked about the reports, USFK said Friday that it does “not comment on the movement, relocation, or potential repositioning of specific military capabilities or assets” but said the US “remains firmly committed” to South Korea’s defense.
South Korea’s defense ministry said, “it is not appropriate for our government to comment on force employment of the USFK.”
Camp Humphries: South Korea is home to the US military’s largest overseas base and hosts Patriot batteries and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. These systems would be crucial to defend against any missile attack by North Korea on its neighbor.
Asian stocks rebound after Trump comments calm oil prices for now
Asian stocks recovered some losses from the day before on Tuesday after oil prices fell below $90 a barrel from their four-year high the day before.
The stock rises came after G7 finance ministers said they would take “necessary measures” to address soaring oil prices and US President Donald Trump gave some comments, albeit conflicting, that the war could have an incoming end.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index surged 3.3% in the early hours of trading, while South Korea’s Kospi 6.2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 1.6%.
Stocks across the world and oil prices have remained volatile since the United States and Israel carried out strikes in Iran more than a week ago sparking the largest global energy crisis in decades.
Despite a rebound in stocks in Asia, investors’ concerns remain as the conflict continues in the Middle East, where major Asian economies source the majority of their oil.
Iran's military "awaiting" US naval fleet in Strait of Hormuz: IRGC spokesperson
Iran’s armed forces are “awaiting the US naval fleet in the Strait of Hormuz” and the end of the war “is in Iran’s hands,” the spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Tuesday.
The comments from Maj. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini, reported by state media, come in apparent response to US President Donald Trump’s news conference Monday and recent comments about safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz, a globally vital oil and shipping lane.
“The armed forces of the Republic of Iran are awaiting the US naval fleet in the Strait of Hormuz region and are waiting for the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford,” Naeini said.
Trump on Monday said the waterway “is going to remain safe” and warned that “the price will be incalculable” for Iran if the nation tries to strike any ships. Trump previously said that his administration is “thinking” of taking over the Strait, and suggested the navy would escort tankers “if necessary.”
Naeini warned that if US-Israeli strikes continue, Iran “will not allow the export of a single liter of oil from the region.”
Two US aircraft carrier strike groups have been deployed in the Middle East – the USS Abraham Lincoln was in the Arabian Sea and USS Gerald R Ford in the Red Sea after transiting the Suez Canal, according to the US Central Command.
Three drones shot down over Iraq's Kurdistan region
Coalition forces in the Kurdistan region of Iraq shot down three explosive-laden drones over Erbil on Monday, the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service said.
Two drones targeted the United Arab Emirates consulate and one targeted Erbil airport, near a US base, according to video and witnesses.
Debris from one drone fell near the consulate but there were no casualties, the service added.
The UAE’s foreign ministry said the attack had caused “material damage” but that no injuries were reported.
Pro-Iranian Iraqi militias have claimed responsibility.
Trump threatens to hit Iran harder if it tries to stop oil flowing through Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to hit Iran “TWENTY TIMES HARDER” if it tries to stop oil from flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the US “will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back” and that “Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them.”
“But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen,” he added.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, carrying roughly a fifth of global oil shipments.
Trump called his warning “a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait.”
China and other Asian economies rely on the crude oil and natural gas shipped through the waterway, which has been virtually closed since the war began.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said earlier Monday that said any Arab or European country that expels Israeli and American ambassadors from its territory will be granted unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz starting Tuesday.
One killed, eight wounded after Iranian strike on Bahrain, interior ministry says
One person has died and eight more have been wounded after an Iranian strike on Bahrain, according to Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior.
“A 29-year-old Bahraini woman died and eight people were injured as a result of the blatant Iranian aggression against a residential building” in the capital Manama, the ministry said in a post on X published in the early hours of Tuesday.
Which countries have Tomahawk missiles?
President Donald Trump claimed today that Iran and numerous other countries possess Tomahawk missiles like the one that appears to have struck an elementary school in southern Iran.
But only a small number of countries possess Tomahawk missiles: The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Japan has bought 400 Tomahawks from the US, and is in the process of arming a warship with them as of October 2025.
According to manufacturer Raytheon, the cruise missiles “can strike targets precisely from 1,000 miles away, even in heavily defended airspace.” Submarine-launched Tomahawks were used in the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities last year.
Background: Footage has emerged that appears to show a US missile — an American BGM or UGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) — targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base adjacent to the school where Iranian state media has said scores of children were killed.
Asked by CNN’s Manu Raju whether the US would accept any responsibility for the strike, Trump said, “I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is used by, you know, is sold and used by other countries, you know that. Whether it’s Iran, who also has some Tomahawks — they wish they had more.”
The president added, “I think it’s something that I was told is under investigation, but Tomahawks are used by others. As you know, numerous other nations have Tomahawks. They buy them from us, but I will certainly — whatever the report shows, I’m willing to live with that report.”
Trump spoke about the Iran war at two events today. The messages were different
President Donald Trump held a news conference a short while ago in Doral, Florida, about the war with Iran.
It followed right after remarks to House Republicans who gathered there for a policy retreat. “We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough,” he told the lawmakers. Trump also said US “will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated.”
Here’s what he said during the news conference:
On a timeline:
- Trump said the US has made “major strides” in the war and suggested the operation may be “pretty well complete.”
- He also said the war could end soon, saying Tehran’s “two levels of leadership are gone.”
- Trump said he was “disappointed” with Iran’s choice of a new supreme leader, but he stopped short of saying he wanted to take him out. (As a reminder, Mojtaba Khamenei was elevated to the position his father held for nearly four decades after the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli air strikes.)
- The US military has struck over 5,000 targets since the war began, but is leaving “some of the most important targets for later in case we need to do it,” Trump said.
Sanctions: As oil prices have spiked, Trump said he would be “waiving certain oil-related sanctions to reduce prices.” He didn’t specify which sanctions would be lifted. He also argued that the war would end up lowering oil prices over the long term.
Claims about the war:
- On attacking first: Iran was going to “take over the Middle East” if the US and Israel did not strike first, Trump claimed.
- Negotiations: Iran expressed continued nuclear aspirations during limited negotiations between US and Iranian officials this year, Trump suggested.
- On the Iranian girls’ school: Trump suggested that other countries could have struck the school, claiming that Iran and other countries possess “generic” Tomahawk missiles like the one that appears to have been used in the attack. However, the Tomahawk missile is not a “generic” weapon as Trump claims. While the US, the United Kingdom and Australia possess them, Iran does not.
Talks with other notable figures:
- Vice President JD Vance: Trump said Vance was “less enthusiastic” about going to war than he was, but denied that the two disagreed over the offensive. Vance, who rose to political prominence as a critic of foreign wars, initially expressed reservations about the prospect of beginning another war in the Middle East, CNN has previously reported. But as it became clear that Trump favored a military campaign, Vance shifted his stance.
- Russian president: Trump said he had “a very good call” today with Vladimir Putin, who the US president said “wants to be helpful” in the Middle East. “I said, ‘You could be more helpful by getting the Ukraine-Russia war over with.’”
CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg, Dalia Abdelwahab, Adam Cancryn, Donald Judd, Betsy Klein, Elise Hammond, Elisabeth Buchwald and Kit Maher contributed to this report.
CNN is on the ground in Tehran. Here's what we're reporting tonight
CNN’s Erin Burnett and Fred Pleitgen discuss the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran as a top Iranian official says it isn’t ending anytime soon.
CNN is operating in Iran with the permission of the Iranian government as required by local regulations but maintains full editorial control over what we report.
Iran plans to impose duties on tankers and ships in Persian Gulf, source tells CNN
Iran is finalizing plans to impose “security duties” in the Persian Gulf on oil tankers and commercial ships that belong to countries allied with the US, an Iranian source with knowledge of the leadership’s strategy told CNN.
The source insisted that the Strait of Hormuz is “closed” even if US President Donald Trump says it is open.
“We hold the screw of the global oil price in our hands and for a long time the US will have to wait for our actions to control the price. Energy prices have become unstable and we will continue to fight until Trump declares defeat,” the source said.
Senate Dems promise war powers votes if Hegseth, Rubio don’t participate in public hearings
Several Senate Democrats have announced that they will continue to force war power votes, aimed at requiring the president to seek congressional approval for action in Iran, if Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio refuse to testify publicly before Congress.
“I don’t think they can defend this war. I think they’ll lose votes in the Senate if they actually have to go in front of the American public and explain why gas prices are so high, explain whether we’re engaged in regime change or whether we’re not, explain how they’re going to get the nuclear weapons and the nuclear material without a ground invasion,” said Sen. Chris Murphy.
Sen. Tim Kaine, who led the previous war powers resolution that failed in the Senate last week, said, “This is not a one and done, this vote last Wednesday. This is the start of something, not the end of something.”
He argued that by only speaking to senators and taking questions in classified settings, the administration is “essentially handcuffing us,” from answering their constituents’ questions. “It’s almost like a gag order to keep us from getting these questions before the public,” added Kaine.
Vance to participate in dignified transfer for service member killed in Iran war
Vice President JD Vance is expected to participate this evening in the dignified transfer for the seventh US service member killed in the Iran war, Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington.
The vice president’s office said Vance will travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the dignified transfer.
Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, was assigned to 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, a unit within Army Space and Missile Defense Command. The military announced Sunday that he died after sustaining injuries during an attack last week in Saudi Arabia.
Trump softens previous suggestion that Iran was behind deadly strike on girls' school
After suggesting over the weekend that Iran was responsible for a deadly strike on a girls school in the southern part of the country, President Donald Trump on Monday said it may have been that country or another that struck the school.
He claimed multiple nations possess “generic” Tomahawk missiles like the one that appears to have been used in the attack — even though Iran does not.
“I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around … is sold and used by other countries, you know that. Whether it’s Iran, who also has some Tomahawks — they wish they had more,” Trump said when asked by CNN’s Manu Raju whether the US would accept any responsibility for the strike.
Pressed by another reporter on why he was the only member of the administration pointing blame at Iran, Trump said: “Because I just don’t know enough about it. I think it’s something that I was told is under investigation, but Tomahawks are used by others. As you know, numerous other nations have Tomahawks. They buy them from us, but I will certainly — whatever the report shows, I’m willing to live with that report.”
Asked about the attack on Saturday, Trump said that “based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was standing beside him at the time, would only say the matter was under investigation.
The Tomahawk missile is not a “generic” weapon. While the US, the United Kingdom and Australia possess them, Iran does not.
Iran has blamed the US for the school strike, according to Iranian state media.
The US military was likely responsible, according to CNN and expert analysis of evidence. And footage has emerged that appears to show a US missile targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base adjacent to the school.
President Donald Trump suggested that it may have been another country that struck an elementary school in southern Iran when asked by CNN's Manu Raju. Trump claimed that Iran and other countries possess “generic” Tomahawk missiles like the one that appears to have been used in the attack.
Trump ties success in war to Iran abandoning nuclear ambitions
President Donald Trump detailed his metrics for success in his war with Iran, suggesting that the country needs to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Pressed by CNN’s Julia Benbrook on his previous comments that the US has “already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough,” the president laid out his expectations.
“Where they’re not going to be starting the following day to develop a nuclear weapon, where they’ll look at that man, and some other people from the administration and say, ‘All right, we’re not going to do it,’” Trump said, referring to special envoy Steve Witkoff, who joined him at the press conference in Florida.
During previous diplomatic negotiations, Trump said, Iranian officials “were not willing to say that.” (Before the war began, Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said publicly “Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon.”)
After initial strikes from the US and Israel, Trump suggested that Iran’s nuclear capacity has been significantly diminished: “Basically, I can see that they will no longer have any capacity whatsoever, for a very long period of time of developing weaponry that could be used against the United States, Israel or any of our allies.”
He described US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last year as a “setback.”
Trump says he thinks the Iran war could end soon
President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could end soon, as the conflict enters its second full week.
Asked by a reporter Monday whether he anticipates US military operations concluding within this week or a handful of days, Trump replied, “I think soon.”
“Look, everything they have is gone, including their leadership,” he said. “In fact, there are two levels of leadership, and even actually, as it turns out, more than that. But two levels of leadership are gone.”
Trump’s comments come after Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was elevated to the position his father held for nearly four decades until his death in US-Israeli air strikes.
Correction: A previous version of the headline and this post incorrectly described when Trump thinks the war will end. He said he thinks it will end soon.
Trump says killed service members' parents told him to "finish the job"
President Donald Trump said Monday that killed service members’ families told him to “finish the job” against Iran.
His comments came when he was asked how many American deaths he’s willing to accept in the war, to which he said conflicts like this one always result in deaths.
“I was at Dover yesterday. I met the parents, and they were unbelievable people,” Trump told reporters in Doral, Florida. He said the parents he met told him, “finish the job, sir, please finish the job.”
Iran says it will escalate missile attacks, only using warheads weighing more than a ton
Iran is planning to escalate its missile attacks and from now on will only launch missiles with warheads weighing more than a ton, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force said Monday.
“From now on, no missile with a warhead lighter than one ton will be fired,” Brig. Gen. Majid Mousavi wrote in a post on X on Monday.
He said the “wavelength” of launches and their intensity and range would also increase.
The warning came as the IRGC announced new missile launches hours after Iran named its new supreme leader. Video published by the IRGC shows what it says is the launch of Khorramshahr, Fatah, Khyber and Qadr missiles. CNN is unable to verify the video.
Trump declines to say if Iran’s new supreme leader has a target on his back
President Donald Trump said he was “disappointed” that Iran named Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the next supreme leader, but stopped short of saying he wanted to take him out.
“I was disappointed, because we think it’s going to lead to just more of the same problem for the country. So I was disappointed to see their choice,” Trump told reporters in Doral, Florida.
Asked if Mojtaba Khamenei has a target on his back, Trump responded that he didn’t want to say.
“That would be inappropriate. But hey, look, I had a target on my back,” Trump said, referring to previous assassination attempts against him.
Still, Trump insisted the US should be involved in selecting the next leader of Iran.
“We want to be involved,” Trump said. He added: “We think they should put a president in, or the head of the country in, that’s going to be able to do something peacefully for a change.”
Trump has previously said Khamenei’s son would be an “unacceptable” choice. But in remarks earlier tonight he acknowledged the uncertainty, telling a group of Republican lawmakers “nobody has any idea” who is going to run Iran.
Trump says Vance was "less enthusiastic" than him about striking Iran
President Donald Trump said Monday that Vice President JD Vance was “less enthusiastic” about going to war with Iran than he was, but denied that the two disagreed over the offensive.
“He was, I would say, philosophically a little bit different than me,” Trump said. “I think he was maybe less enthusiastic about going, but he was quite enthusiastic.”
Trump added that he ultimately felt he needed to attack Iran for fear of Iran attempting to strike the US first.
Vance, who rose to political prominence as a critic of foreign wars, initially expressed reservations about the prospect of beginning another war in the Middle East, CNN has previously reported. But as it became clear that Trump favored a military campaign, he shifted his stance, pushing for the US to move quickly and decisively in attacking Iran.
