What we covered here
• Tankers ablaze: Iran has ramped up retaliatory attacks on energy supplies with strikes on two foreign oil tankers in Iraqi waters. Separately, a video geolocated by CNN appeared to show an Iranian drone hitting a fuel tank in an Omani port.
• Oil tops $100 (again): Oil climbed above $100 overnight. The jump came despite the International Energy Agency agreeing to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from reserves into the global market.
• Claiming victory: President Trump has been repeating his claim that the US has won the war, even as the conflict widens. “It’s just a question of when, when do we stop?” he said.
• Girl’s school bombing: The US military accidentally struck an Iranian elementary school on February 28 likely due to outdated information about a nearby naval base, according to two sources.
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Container ship struck near Strait of Hormuz, 6th vessel attacked in 2 days
A container ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates was struck by an “unknown projectile” that caused a small fire onboard early Thursday, the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Thursday.
The incident marks the sixth attack in two days on vessels operating in the Persian Gulf as Iran has ramped up its strikes on oil tankers, cargo ships and energy supplies in the region.
The incident happened 35 nautical miles north of Jebel Ali, a major port city near Dubai, according to the UKMTO, the maritime authority with responsibility for the region.
It said a full damage assessment was “impaired by darkness” but that all crew were safe.
Overnight, two foreign oil tankers were left ablaze in Iraqi waters after an Iranian attack. At least one person was killed and 38 crew members were rescued from the vessels.
A Thai bulk carrier also caught fire and its crew were evacuated after being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz early on Wednesday. Two other vessels also reported being struck the same day.
Oil tops $100 again despite historic release of reserves
Oil prices surged past $100 per barrel again overnight, three days after it hit a four-year high, as the US and Israel’s war with Iran continues to have a historic impact on global fuel supplies.
The jump came despite the International Energy Agency’s member countries unanimously agreeing earlier on Wednesday to release a record 400 million barrels of oil into the global market.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, hovered around $100 a barrel late Wednesday, an 8.7% increase for the day. Meanwhile, WTI, the US benchmark, also soared 8.7% to $94.8.
Iran war costing Middle East travel industry $600m a day, global body warns
The US and Israel’s war with Iran is costing the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector at least $600 million per day in lost international visitor spending, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Disrupted air travel, shaken traveler confidence and reduced regional connectivity are driving down demand across the region, which handles 5% of global arrivals and 14% of international transit traffic, the group added in a statement on Wednesday.
Major hubs like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain - which normally process around 526,000 passengers daily - have faced nearly two weeks of closures and operational chaos, severely impacting global travel and sending the cost of many airfares soaring.
WTTC’s analysis is based on its 2026 pre-conflict forecast for the Middle East, which projected $207 billion in international visitor spending across the region this year.
“Any disruption to travel flows therefore quickly translates into substantial economic impact across the tourism ecosystem,” it added.
However, WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara said travel and tourism “is the most resilient of sectors” with a history of rapid recovery. Clear communication, strong public-private coordination and measures to reinforce safety and stability are key to rebuilding travelers’ trust, she added.
Saudi Arabia redirects trade to its western ports to avoid Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia is redirecting maritime trade to its western ports in the Red Sea to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran is attacking ships that try to cross.
Ships going to and from the country’s eastern ports, facing the Persian Gulf, need to transit the strait, which has been effectively closed since the war with Iran broke out.
The new Saudi initiative will see that trade conducted via its Red Sea ports and adds logistics routes to receive containers and cargo being redirected from ports across the Gulf.
“The transport and logistics system… is operating efficiently by boosting the operational capacity of ports, airports, and transport networks to ensure stable supply chains,” the country’s Transport and Logistics Minister Saleh Al-Jasser said during a visit to one of the Red Sea ports, according to Saudi Arabia’s state news agency.
Four Bahrainis arrested for espionage with Iran, says ministry
Four Bahraini nationals have been arrested for conducting alleged “espionage activities” with Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior said.
The four Bahrainis, including one woman, are accused of supplying the IRGC with coordinates and images of critical infrastructure and commercial sites.
A fifth suspect has been identified and is currently abroad, according to a separate statement posted from Bahraini police.
The suspects – between the ages 22 and 36 – are alleged to have worked under the instruction of a 25-year-old detainee to send the images of “vital and important” locations in Bahrain to Iran via encrypted software.
The case is similar to major security operations from 2014 to 2018, when Bahraini authorities broke up several proxy networks backed by the IRGC, the ministry statement added.
Photos: Scenes of destruction in Beirut after strikes
News agency photos show the scale of destruction on Wednesday in the Lebanese capital following various attacks across the city. Israel has been continuing its offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon as the conflict widens.
Fresh wave of attacks across Gulf states Thursday morning
Gulf countries have been intercepting new waves of Iranian drones and missiles early Thursday morning, with attacks on oil facilities and tankers.
Iraq: Video geolocated by CNN shows smoke rising from the Erbil International Airport in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Earlier, two foreign oil tankers were attacked by Iranian drones in Iraq’s territorial waters. At least one person was killed and 38 others rescued. Iran claimed responsibility, saying an underwater drone attack blew up the tankers.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said it had intercepted and destroyed more than 20 drones in the eastern parts of the country, home to the kingdom’s oil fields.
Bahrain said Iranian attacks targeted fuel tanks at a facility in the kingdom’s northern Muharraq Governorate. The interior ministry warned residents in four nearby towns and villages to remain in their homes and close their windows to avoid the effects from smoke and fire.
The United Arab Emirates said its air defenses were responding to “incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.” Dubai’s government media office said a drone fell on a building in the vicinity of Creek Harbour and a minor fire was brought under control.
Kuwait’s armed forces said its air defenses were also responding to “hostile missile and drone threats.”
Iraq calls for restraint after Iran's targeting of oil tankers in its territorial waters
Iraq’s Ministry of Oil said the targeting of oil tankers in the Persian Gulf represents “a worrying indicator of escalating tensions” and has called for the protection of vital maritime routes.
The ministry’s statement comes after two foreign oil tankers were attacked by Iranian drones in Iraq’s territorial waters. At least one person died and 38 others were rescued.
1 dead and 38 rescued from oil tankers ablaze in Gulf as Iran claims responsibility
The head of Iraq’s ports company told CNN on Thursday that it had rescued 38 crew members of two foreign oil tankers left ablaze in the Persian Gulf after coming under attack in Iraq’s territorial waters – but at least one person has died.
Farhan al-Fartousi, the director general of the Iraqi Ports Company, told CNN that the rescued crew were all of foreign nationalities but did not provide details on injuries or damage to the ships.
Earlier, an Iraqi security source in Basra told CNN that an Iranian boat rigged with explosives is thought to have hit the two vessels and an investigation is ongoing.
Oil ports have stopped operations following the attack, al-Fartousi said.
The attack occurred within Iraqi territorial waters, according to the head of media at Iraq’s joint operation command, Lieutenant General Saad Maan. He called the attack a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and said the country reserves the right to take legal action.
Footage verified by CNN shows the two tankers ablaze, with flames spreading into the surrounding water – likely the result of an oil spill. Vessel tracking data indicates that they were anchored alongside each other when the fire began.
The ships on fire are the Maltese-flagged Zefyros and the Marshallese-flagged Safesea Vishnu.
The registered owner of the Safesea Vishnu is US-based company Safesea Transport Inc. while the Zefyros’ owner is based in Greece.
CNN has reached out to Safesea Transport Inc. for comment.
Iraq’s oil marketing company SOMO said the ships were attacked “while present in the sideloading area within Iraqi territorial waters.” The Zefyros was preparing to enter the Khor Al-Zubair port and was carrying condensate for the Basra Gas Company, SOMO said.
This post has been updated to include a statement from SOMO.
Bahrain says Iranian attacks targeted fuel tanks in northern governorate
Bahrain said that Iranian attacks targeted fuel tanks at a facility in the kingdom’s northern governorate early Thursday local time.
Iranian officials warn protesters against speaking out about the regime
Over the past few days, Iranian officials have issued warnings to protesters against speaking out about the regime.
Learn more here:
Iran’s government is warning dissidents and protestors against speaking out against the regime. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reports on the chilling threats against the country's citizens and Iranians in the diaspora.
Trump: Government probing unverified claim of possible Iran revenge plot on California
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the government is investigating an unverified claim of a possible Iran revenge plot involving drones targeting California from a boat offshore.
“It’s being investigated,” the president said, when asked about an FBI memo warning of Iran’s possible desire to carry out such an attack. “But you have a lot of things happening, and all we could do is take them as they come.”
Pressed on if he has been briefed on the potential number of Iranian sleeper cells located with the United States, the president told reporters, “I have been.”
Earlier Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed that federal authorities had alerted officials in his state of unverified claims by Iranian-affiliated actors desiring to conduct potential drone attacks. He said later that there was no “imminent threat.”
The FBI memo sent to local law enforcement and officials in California contained unvetted and unverified information for their awareness, according to several officials who had seen it.
“We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States Homeland,” part of the memo reads, “specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the US conducted strikes against Iran.”
CNN’S Holmes Lybrand and Josh Campbell contributed to this report.
Trump again claims victory in Iran: “It’s just a question of when, when do we stop?”
President Donald Trump again claimed victory in Iran tonight, telling reporters traveling with him back to Washington, DC, “It’s just a question of when, when do we stop?”
Speaking in Kentucky earlier Wednesday, Trump told supporters, “We won. We won, in the first hour it was over, but we won,” in Iran, without providing substantial evidence. But his administration has offered inconsistent messaging on the timeline for US operations in the country.
The president did not respond to questions from reporters on whether he still believes the war will wind down after four weeks.
US will release 172 million barrels of oil from reserve, Energy Department says
President Donald Trump has authorized the United States to release 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve beginning next week, the Energy Department said in a statement Wednesday,.
The move to release resources from the SPR represents a reversal from the first days of the war, when officials dismissed the prospect of tapping the reserve as unlikely and largely unnecessary.
Trump had previously criticized former President Joe Biden for leaning on the SPR to manage oil prices in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, accusing him of using it to advance his political aims.
Oil prices have climbed 38 cents in just the last week, and 64 cents in the last month, in reaction to the war and the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial channel through which 20% of the world’s oil normally passes, as well as retaliatory attacks by Iran on the oil facilities of its oil-rich neighbors.
CNN’s David Goldman talks to Wolf Blitzer about the impact on oil prices.
Drone falls on building around Dubai Creek Harbour
A drone fell on a building in the vicinity of the Dubai Creek Harbour, causing a minor fire, the city’s media office said.
Authorities evacuated people from the building as a precaution before putting out the flames.
No injuries have been reported so far.
Iran says it carried out joint attack with Hezbollah on more than 50 targets in Israel
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out a joint operation with Lebanon’s Hezbollah that involved five hours of sustained fire and struck more than 50 targets across Israel.
The IRGC said it fired a mix of ballistic missiles, while Hezbollah launched what it described as large-scale attack drones and rockets.
The statement said the strikes hit targets “across the occupied territories,” describing the operation as a coordinated, integrated assault that inflicted “painful blows” on Israeli military bases from Haifa in the north to Tel Aviv in central Israel and Beersheba in the south.
The Israeli military said earlier today that Iran and Hezbollah had carried out a “coordinated missile attack,” targeting central Israel.
Israel later carried out a “wide-scale” wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah infrastructure across Lebanon, including intelligence headquarters and command centers in Beirut’s south, its military said. It also claimed to have dismantled dozens of launchers and “neutralized” dozens of operatives.
What an investigation into US strike on Iranian elementary school has revealed so far
The US military accidentally struck an Iranian elementary school likely due to outdated information about a nearby naval base, according to sources. The attack killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers, Iran’s state media reported.
CNN’s Natasha Bertrand explains what the investigation into the incident has found so far:
The US military accidentally struck an Iranian elementary school, in an attack that state media said killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers, likely due to outdated information about a nearby naval base, according to two sources briefed on the preliminary findings of an ongoing military investigation. In response to a request for comment, a Defense Intelligence Agency spokesperson said, “The incident is under investigation; we defer to the Pentagon for further comment.” A spokesperson for US Central Command also declined to comment on the preliminary findings, citing the ongoing investigation.
Trump says "we won" Iran war while Pentagon puts price tag on operation. Here's the latest
US President Donald Trump told supporters at a rally in Kentucky today that “we won” the war with Iran, without offering any evidence, while he touted an international agreement to release stockpiled oil reserves.
Oil prices have climbed 38 cents in just the last week, and 64 cents in the last month, in reaction to the war and the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial channel through which 20% of the world’s oil normally passes, as well as retaliatory attacks by Iran on the oil facilities of its oil-rich neighbors.
Here’s are more updates from today:
Oman fire: Emergency crews are battling a fire at the fuel storage tanks of the Port of Salalah, according to the Oman News Agency. A social media video geolocated by CNN appeared to show an Iranian Shahed drone hitting a tank at the port.
Israel announces more strikes: Israel said it began a “large-scale wave of strikes” on Beirut’s suburbs after Hezbollah launched what the Israeli military said were “more than 100” rockets.
Cost over 6 days: The Pentagon told US lawmakers in a private briefing Tuesday that preliminary estimates suggest the war cost at least $11 billion in the first six days.
UN council condemns Iran attacks: The UN Security Council adopted a Bahrain-led resolution that demanded Iran immediately stop its attacks on Gulf countries.
US reduces Mideast evacuations: The US State Department announced it will scale down its charter flight options due to a lack of demand.
Warning in Iraq: The US Embassy in Baghdad warned that Iran and its armed proxies in Iraq may be planning attacks on “US-owned oil and energy infrastructure.”
Rare GOP criticism: Sen. Lisa Murkowski slammed Trump’s handling of the war, demanding public hearings and saying that mixed messaging from the administration is leading to confusion.
Iran dominates strait: Iran’s oil producers are loading more crude onto tankers in the Strait of Hormuz than before the war started while the rest of the world’s oil has been stuck on tankers in the Persian Gulf for more than a week.
CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg, Adam Cancryn, Max Saltman, Dana Karni, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Michael Rios, Zahra Ullah, Jennifer Hansler, Alison Main, Manu Raju, Jack Clifton and David Goldman contributed to this report.
California governor addresses FBI memo to local law enforcement over Iran threat
Federal authorities have alerted California state officials of unverified claims by Iranian-affiliated actors desiring to conduct potential drone attacks, Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed in a press conference Wednesday, adding later that there is no “imminent threat.”
The FBI memo sent to local law enforcement and officials in California contained unvetted and unverified information for their awareness, according to several officials who had seen it.
“We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States Homeland,” part of the memo reads, “specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the US conducted strikes against Iran.”
Federal investigators often share information of questioned credibility with local law enforcement partners out of an abundance of caution.
One law enforcement source said federal and state security officials have deemed the information to be “aspirational” in nature and do not currently believe there is an imminent threat.
The US intelligence community routinely collects intelligence on adversaries signaling their desire to cause harm, one law enforcement official source said, but mere claims do not mean adversaries are capable of carrying out an attack.
These types of reports are shared with local law enforcement “daily,” the source said.
Newsom said Wednesday that “drone issues have been top of mind and we’ve assembled some work groups specifically around those concerns.”
Newsom posted on social media that he is “in constant coordination with security and intelligence officials” over potential threats to California, “including those tied to the conflict in the Middle East.”
“While we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared for any emergency in our state,” Newsom wrote.
