What we're covering
• Fresh attacks: A missile strike damaged buildings and injured two in a northern Israeli town. In Iran, three Red Crescent aid workers were wounded in an attack at the Tehran-Qom toll station. And explosions were heard in central Dubai as a projectile was intercepted.
• Soldier dies: A French soldier was killed and several others were wounded in an attack in Iraqi Kurdistan. A drone attack had targeted a base hosting Kurdish forces and international coalition troops in northern Iraq.
• Oil shock: The Trump administration temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil products as oil and gas prices surged. Asian markets, tracked falls in global markets overnight. And in South Asia, people are also feeling the impact of the price hikes and fuel caps.
Israel targeted Basij checkpoints in Tehran, ambassador says
The Israeli ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter has confirmed that Israel struck checkpoints linked to Iran’s Basij paramilitary forces in the Iranian capital.
It comes after Iranian state media reported that at least 10 “security defenders” were killed in Israeli drone strikes targeting Basij and IRGC checkpoints in Tehran.
Such checkpoints are scattered across Tehran, administered by the revolutionary guards and the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary group tasked with enforcing Islamic morality among the public and propping up the regime.
Basij volunteers are often plucked from poorer, conservative backgrounds and are often ideologically driven. They are typically on the frontlines of suppressing internal unrest, including during the protests earlier this year.
CNN has contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.
Trump suggests oil tankers should “show some guts” in Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that oil tanker crews should “show some guts,” as Iran attacks tankers trying to cross the crucial Strait of Hormuz and oil prices soar.
The president, asked about the dangers facing the tankers in an interview with Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, said they should “go through the Strait of Hormuz and show some guts.”
Trump said in the interview, set to air Friday morning, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. They have no Navy and we sunk all their ships.”
Shipping industry executives have made regular requests to the US Navy for military escorts, all of which have been rebuffed as the Pentagon has currently deemed them too dangerous to conduct, CNN has reported.
At least 16 oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels have been attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman since the war began two weeks ago, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre. At least one person died and 38 others were rescued after attacks earlier this week.
Iran, which effectively controls the strait, shut it down after US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran almost two weeks ago.
Read more about how the Trump administration underestimated the war’s impact on the strait here.
Two weeks into war, Iran threatens to set region's oil "on fire." Here's where things stand
As war in Iran nears the end of the second week, the nation’s new supreme leader vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. Oil prices remain high as the economic fallout deepens and fears over supply chains persist.
Here’s what to know on day 14:
- Oil costs: The US government on Thursday issued a new license allowing countries to temporarily purchase certain Russian oil products. This comes despite previous US pressure on Russian oil companies as part of a bid to stem the flow of cash funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
- Further threats: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned it would set the region’s oil and gas “on fire” if Iranian energy infrastructure and ports are attacked.
- Strikes on Israel: A fresh wave of missiles were launched at Israel early Friday, wounding dozens of people and damaging buildings in the country’s north. Earlier, Iran said it was firing another wave of missiles at Israel, and that Hezbollah had launched a simultaneous attack from southern Lebanon, according to Iranian state media.
- Tehran and Beirut targeted: Heavy explosions were felt in several parts of Tehran on Friday morning, Iranian state media said. Israel also expanded operations targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon late Thursday night, with strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
- Mounting casualties: The toll of civilian deaths and injuries continues to climb, with two academics killed by an Israeli airstrike at a Lebanese university on Thursday, and three Red Crescent aid workers in Iran wounded by an attack early Friday. Close to 2,000 people have been killed in Iran and Lebanon, according to authorities from both countries, with dozens more killed elsewhere in the region.
- French forces attacked: One French soldier was killed and several others wounded in an attack in Iraqi Kurdistan, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday. The drone attack had targeted a base hosting Kurdish forces and international coalition troops, according to the governor of Erbil. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack – but afterward, an Iran-backed militia in Iraq threatened to target French interests in Iraq and the wider region.
The rich are fleeing the Middle East in private jets
Demand for private charter flights out of the Middle East has surged since the beginning of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, with those who can afford it paying astronomical prices to leave the region.
Demand for private charter flights out of the Middle East has surged since the beginning of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, with those who can afford it paying astronomical prices to leave the region.
Explosion heard in Dubai as Gulf states repel new Iranian attacks
Gulf states have been repelling fresh Iranian attacks on Friday morning, with explosions heard in central Dubai as air defenses intercepted a projectile.
Video geolocated by CNN shows a thick plume of smoke rising over skyscrapers in Dubai’s central finance district.
Dubai Media Office said “debris from a successful interception caused a minor incident on the façade of a building in central Dubai,” in a post on X shortly before 8 a.m. local time. No injuries were reported, the media office said.
A short time later the United Arab Emirates’ emergency management authority said it was responding to a missile threat.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said it had intercepted dozens on drones, many of them targeting central and eastern parts of the country.
Earlier on Friday morning, sirens sounded in Bahrain.
How countries that have energy self-sufficiency could weather fuel crisis
As fuel shortages escalate worldwide amid the war and many nations scramble to secure energy supplies, countries with greater self-sufficiency could be best equipped to withstand the turmoil.
We take a closer look at countries where investment in renewable energy could prove significant:
In Europe, Spain has rapidly emerged as a leader in renewable energy, with power company Red Eléctrica confirming last year that renewables were generating enough to meet the country’s entire electricity demand. Major investments in solar and wind over the past decade have reduced Spain’s reliance on fossil fuels, making it less vulnerable to fuel shortages and global supply shocks.
However, the Nordic countries are at the forefront, with Norway leading the pack. Around 98% of its electricity is generated from hydro or wind power, according to the European Environment Agency.
In Asia, China is largely energy self-sufficient, installing wind and solar power projects faster than any other country.
The International Energy Agency predicts that by the early 2030s, China’s solar capacity alone will generate more electricity than the total power consumed in the US today. A prime example of China’s renewable energy push is the massive Junma solar farm in Kubuqi desert, where nearly 200,000 solar panels are arranged in rows.
Other countries leading the way in renewable energy include Albania, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Iceland, Nepal, Paraguay and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, each producing over 99.7% of their electricity from solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal sources, according to research by Rated Power.
Iran war oil shock could squeeze North Korea’s already thin fuel supply
North Korea’s fuel supply runs through a system that is both secretive and fragile.
United Nations sanctions sharply limit how much refined petroleum the country can import legally.
To keep its economy running, Pyongyang relies on a patchwork of supply lines including a pipeline from China near the border city of Dandong, shipments tied to Russia and illicit ship to ship transfers at sea.
A significant share of the fuel circulating inside the country also moves through black markets where prices can fluctuate quickly.
The precarious system could soon face new pressure from the global oil shock tied to the war in Iran.
If global prices stay elevated, those increases are likely to eventually reach North Korea through its main suppliers. China and Russia provide much of the fuel that keeps the country moving, meaning higher prices abroad could soon filter into domestic markets.
“The prices they will soon be paying internationally are going to rise,” said Peter Ward, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute. “One would imagine the Chinese and the Russians will pass on fuel price rises as they see fit.”
Once that happens, the effects could ripple widely through the economy.
Diesel powers the aging trucks that haul food and goods between provinces, tractors used in the countryside and fishing fleets along the coast. Fuel is also burned in diesel generators that factories and households rely on when electricity fails.
“If China is getting pinched, then North Korea is going to get pinched,” said Aaron Arnold, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.
Tracking those impacts will not be straightforward. North Korea does not publish reliable economic or fuel data, meaning analysts often rely on clues such as market price reports from inside the country, satellite evidence of illicit oil transfers and anecdotal accounts filtering out through traders and contacts.
If global oil prices remain high, those signals could offer the first hints that the pressure is beginning to reach North Korea’s already strained economy.
US temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian oil stranded at sea as prices rise
The Trump administration on Thursday issued a new license allowing countries to temporarily purchase certain Russian oil products, the same day Brent crude prices settled above $100 per barrel for the first time since August 2022 as the war with Iran drags on.
Temporarily lifting the sanctions on oil from Russia, a major exporter, comes despite previous US pressure on Russian oil companies as part of a bid to stem the flow of cash funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“To increase the global reach of existing supply, @USTreasury is providing a temporary authorization to permit countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote on social media. “This narrowly tailored, short-term measure applies only to oil already in transit and will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, which derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction.”
The license, posted to the US Treasury site, only applies to Russian crude or petroleum products loaded on vessels as of March 12. The license authorizes those shipments through April 11.
Some background: CNN previously reported that the US has granted Indian refiners a 30-day waiver to buy Russian oil currently stranded at sea. Bessent, at the time, said the move was “to enable oil to keep flowing into the global market.”
The war, now in its second week, has seen the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil travels, effectively closed to tanker travel. Oil prices have jumped, and analysts, economists and traders have warned that even a rapid end to the war won’t necessarily mean a quick re-opening of the strait.
Thousands protest in Athens against conflict in the Middle East
Thousands of people marched through central Athens on Thursday towards the US embassy to protest over the war with Iran and military mobilization in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Missile caused "extensive destruction" in northern Israel town
A missile strike caused “extensive destruction” to buildings in a town in northern Israel early on Friday, said an Israel Fire and Rescue commander.
Fire crews responded to a “direct hit by a missile on a structure” in the Arab town of Zarzir that damaged several houses and caused a fire that was later extinguished, Israel Fire and Rescue said.
“There was extensive destruction at the scene and considerable commotion,” fire officer Shay David said in video from the Israel Fire and Rescue.
The missile hit a complex of four houses, David said. Fire crews rescued people trapped in their homes and extinguished several fires in the impact area, he added.
A 34-year-old woman sustained a shrapnel wound to the back has been taken to hospital is in a moderate condition, said Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom. A 17-year-old girl was also injured by broken glass.
The incident came after sirens sounded in northern Israel and the Israeli military said it had detected missiles fired from Iran.
Both Iran and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon have fired projectiles at Israel in recent days.
Iran is attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Here are the latest figures
Iran has been ramping up its strikes against oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels in the Strait of Hormuz as its war with Israel and the US rages on, deepening a historic global energy crisis.
At least 16 oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels have been attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman since the war began two weeks ago, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre.
The UKMTO is an organization led by the British Royal Navy which acts as the primary point of contact for vessels in the Middle East.
At least 8 people have been killed, four are missing, and several others have been wounded in the attacks, which have increased in recent days, according to the International Maritime Organization.
Iran has claimed responsibility for several of the attacks, part of a pressure campaign to increase the economic fallout of the US and Israel’s decision to attack two weeks ago.
Iran’s control of the narrow Strait of Hormuz — through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes — is one of its major advantages in the war.
Tehran has also reportedly mined the strait, further deterring ships from attempting passage.
War waged by world’s richest country hitting the wallets of those who can least afford it
As the world’s wealthiest nation leads a costly war – one think tank estimated the US is burning through $890 million a day – those who are least able to afford it are feeling the most acute and immediate impact on their wallets.
Shakil Khan, who delivers items and ferries passengers on his bike, is one of tens of millions of people in Bangladesh suffering oil and gas shortages as the US-Israeli military offensive against Iran hits fuel supplies globally.
Millions of people are being told to turn down air conditioning, switch off lights, avoid travel for meetings, and perhaps even work from home to save energy.
Read more on how the war is affecting others far away from the conflict, particularly in South Asia which is extremely vulnerable given its heavy reliance on oil and gas imports from the Middle East.
Trump administration underestimated Iran’s willingness to close Strait of Hormuz
The Pentagon and National Security Council significantly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to US military strikes while planning the ongoing operation, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
President Donald Trump’s national security team failed to fully account for the potential consequences of what some officials have described as a worst-case scenario now facing the administration, the sources said.
While key officials from the Departments of Energy and Treasury were present for some of the official planning meetings about the operation before it started, sources said, the agency analysis and forecasts that would be integral elements of the decision-making process in past administrations were secondary considerations.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright have been key players throughout the planning and execution stages of the conflict, the sources acknowledged. But Trump’s preference of leaning on a tight circle of close advisers in his national security decision making had the effect of sidelining interagency debate over the potential economic fallout if Iran were to respond to US-Israeli strikes by closing the strait.
And now it may be weeks before the administration’s efforts to alleviate the intensifying economic fallout take hold, officials said Thursday, including high-risk naval escorts of oil tankers through the strait that the Pentagon believes are currently too dangerous to conduct. The president, meanwhile, has continued to downplay the tumult in energy markets.
