Here's the latest
• Iranian official killed: Iran’s president said intelligence minister Esmail Khatib has been killed in the latest attack by Israel on the country’s senior leadership. It comes as Tehran has vowed revenge for the killing of the regime’s security chief, Ali Larijani.
• Oil spikes amid strikes: Global oil prices have surpassed $108 per barrel as the war continues to roil markets, as parts of Iran’s oil and natural gas facilities were attacked by the US and Israel, state media reported. The White House is also temporarily easing limits on the shipping of oil and gas throughout the US.
• Intel assessment: The US intelligence community assesses the Iranian regime “to be intact, but largely degraded,” intel chief Tulsi Gabbard said today.
• Strait of Hormuz: NATO is discussing with its allies how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as US President Donald Trump suggested that they should take sole responsibility for policing the waterway if the US causes the Iranian regime to collapse. The US has dropped 5,000-pound guided bombs to penetrate missile sites along the strait.
US did not attack Iran gas fields, official says
A US official denied that the country attacked gas fields in Iran, instead saying it was carried out by Israel.
Iranian state media, earlier today, had said that the US and Israel attacked parts of its oil and natural gas production facilities, including South Pars, the world’s largest natural gas field.
An Israeli source told CNN earlier today that Israel had attacked the Asaluyeh facility in southwestern Iran. A separate Israeli official said the Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars facility had been carried out in coordination with the United States.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warns of “powerful action,” urges evacuations at Persian Gulf oil sites
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a new warning today, saying Iran’s enemies should “await the powerful action” of the country’s armed forces, after what it described as an attack on Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure.
The warning came after Tehran accused the United States and Israel of attacking parts of Iran’s oil and natural gas production facilities, including the South Pars natural gas field, the world’s largest.
If confirmed, this would mark the first attacks on Iranian oil and natural gas production facilities in this war. Last week, Israel attacked a number of Iranian fuel depots.
An Israeli source told CNN earlier Wednesday that Israel had attacked the Asaluyeh facility in southwestern Iran. Another Israeli official said the Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars facility was carried out in coordination with the United States.
The IRGC said in a statement that a “criminal enemy” had “violated part of Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure” and reiterated earlier threats to retaliate if Iran’s energy, gas or economic facilities were targeted.
Iran considers it “legitimate” to target the fuel, energy and gas infrastructure of the “country of origin” and would respond “at the first opportunity,” the statement added.
The IRGC also called for the evacuation of residents and employees at some oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Following the warning, Saudi Civil Defense issued an all-clear after its air defenses had dealt with a ballistic threat in the capital, Riyadh, according to the state-run al-Ekhbariya News television channel.
Vance says Kent's resignation was "good" if he couldn't support Trump's plan on Iran
Vice President JD Vance said today that former counterterrorism chief Joe Kent’s resignation was a “good thing,” and that members of the administration have to carry out President Donald Trump’s decisions, even if they disagree with them. He added: “That’s how I do my job.”
Kent announced Tuesday that he was resigning due to disagreements over the Iran war. Some parts of the MAGA world have criticized Vance for not being clear about his feelings on the war.
“I know the president very well; he welcomes differences of opinion. He likes it when people express their views about what should happen, he listens to everybody,” Vance said at a speech in Michigan. “That said — whatever your view is — when the president of the United States makes the decision, it’s your job to help make that decision as effective and successful as possible.”
“If you are on the team and you can’t help implement the decisions of his administration … then it’s a good thing for you to resign,” he added. “That’s how I do my job, and I think that’s how everybody in the administration should do their job, too.”
CNN reported that Kent met with Vance on Monday explaining why he intended to step down. His resignation letter stated that Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the US.
Vance initially had some reservations about the decision to strike Iran, sources told CNN, but he has repeatedly dodged or declined to answer questions in public about his personal feelings on the war. He has expressed confidence that it will not become a long-term conflict.
And while some in the administration have disparaged Kent as a leaker, Vance said, “I know Joe Kent a little bit. I like Joe Kent.”
6 US Air Force airmen will be brought home in dignified transfer
Six US Air Force airmen killed as a result of a refueling aircraft crash in Iraq will be brought home in a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force base on Wednesday, a White House official said.
The service members were identified by the Pentagon as Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
President Donald Trump is attending, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has also said he’d be attending.
The crash occurred in western Iraq last Thursday as part of the United States’ military action in Iran. The crew members were aboard a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft when it crashed, the US military said, adding that the incident was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
Trump, accompanied by Hegseth and Caine, heads to Dover for dignified transfer
President Donald Trump is en route to Dover Air Force Base to attend a dignified transfer of the six US service members killed when their refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq last week.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt were among those accompanying the president when he boarded Air Force One Wednesday afternoon.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine previously said that he and his wife will also attend the transfer “to pay our respects” to the three Ohio service members killed in the crash, which the US military said was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
Earlier this month, Trump attended the dignified transfer of six US Army Reserve soldiers who were killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait. He was joined by first lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance as well as top military officials.
Vance had just concluded a speech in Michigan when Trump boarded Air Force One this afternoon.
Gabbard dodges when asked if Trump was briefed on Iran possibly closing Strait of Hormuz
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declined to say today whether she was asked to brief President Donald Trump on the possibility of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz prior to the US launching military action against the country.
“I’m not going to comment on what the president did or didn’t ask me on any topic,” Gabbard said in response to a question from Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat.
Asked the same question, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said such briefings don’t typically come at the request of the White House, rather that intelligence agencies raise important intelligence with the White House when it arises.
“There has been and continues to be [intelligence] analysis with respect to” the Strait of Hormuz, Ratcliffe said.
More context: About one-fifth of the world’s oil output flows through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s effective closure of the strait has roiled energy markets.
The Pentagon and National Security Council significantly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the strait in response to US military strikes while planning the ongoing US military operation, CNN reported last week, citing sources familiar with the matter.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump was “fully briefed” on planning for the possibility of Iran closing the strait.
Later in the hearing Wednesday, Ratcliffe said that Iran has requested intelligence help from Russia and China in the war, but he declined to elaborate on that in an unclassified setting.
UN nuclear watchdog urges restraint after Iran says “hostile projectile” hit nuclear plant site
The United Nations nuclear watchdog urged restraint after Iran said a “hostile projectile” struck the grounds of the Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday but reported no casualties or damage to the facility.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said in a statement Tuesday that the incident caused “no financial, technical or human damage,” adding that “no part of the power plant was damaged.” The organization said the projectile hit the plant’s grounds at around 7 p.m. local time, but it did not say who was responsible.
“Such actions are against all international regulations on immunity of nuclear facilities from military attacks and can have irreparable consequences for the entire region, including the countries bordering the Persian Gulf,” the Iranian statement said.
The head of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said Wednesday that the agency received separate information from Iran and Russia about a hit by a drone on the premises of the nuclear power plant.
Based on the information the agency has so far, it might have hit a small building that contains a laboratory, Grossi told reporters during a visit to Washington.
“The reactors have not been affected, and there are no casualties,” he said.
Grossi said the agency is looking at images and that the strike “doesn’t seem to be very significant.” But he reiterated that any attack on a nuclear facility should always be avoided.
CNN has reached out to the Israeli military and the US Department of Defense for comment.
A source told CNN on Tuesday that the Israeli military did not carry out the strike. The source could not provide further details.
Dems didn't ask intelligence chiefs about Joe Kent's resignation over war with Iran
Democratic senators during a committee hearing today did not ask intelligence chiefs about the resignation of Joe Kent, a high-ranking Trump appointee who stepped down yesterday citing misgiving about the US war with Iran.
As senators from both parties on the Senate Intelligence Committee questioned the intelligence chiefs — including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel and CIA Director John Ratcliffe — Kent’s resignation was only raised by GOP Sen. John Cornyn.
Kent, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on Tuesday, saying “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation,” which contradicted the Trump administration’s argument for starting the war.
Ratcliffe, when asked by Cornyn about Kent’s assessment, and whether he disagrees, said, “I do.”
Top intel chief says its not her job to determine what is an "imminent threat"
US Director of National Intelligence says its not her job to determine what is an ‘imminent threat.’
“Senator, the only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the President,” Tulsi Gabbard said at the Senate’s Worldwide Threats hearing.
Gabbard’s stunning statement, in an exchange with Sen. Jon Ossoff, comes as the administration has argued that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States that required US military action.
“Was it the intelligence community’s assessment that, nevertheless, despite obliteration, there was a, quote, ‘imminent nuclear threat’ posed by the Iranian regime? Yes or no?” the Georgia Democrat asked.
“It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,” Gabbard said, claiming that the President makes such an assessment of imminence based on “a volume of information that he receives.”
“It is precisely your responsibility to determine what constitutes a threat to the United States. This is the worldwide threats hearing, where, as you noted in your opening testimony quote, you represent the IC’s assessment of threats,” Ossoff replied.
Leader of Israel’s left-wing party warns of “Lebanese quagmire” if ground invasion occurs
The leader of Israel’s left-wing Democrats party has warned of a “Lebanese quagmire” if the country’s leadership moves forward with a ground invasion into southern Lebanon.
In a statement during a visit to Israel’s northern border, Yair Golan said, “A deep military maneuver inside Lebanon, without a clear political objective, will drag Israel back into the Lebanese quagmire and will not bring real security to the communities of the north.”
Golan, a retired major general who once served as the military’s deputy chief of staff, said “true victory” requires military achievement coupled with “a successful political endgame.”
Israel has called up more than 120,000 reservists since the start of the war with Iran and moved additional troops to the northern border in the conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah as the Israeli military has gradually pushed forces into Lebanon.
Shrapnel from Iranian missile damages three private jets at Israel’s international airport
Shrapnel from an Iranian ballistic missile damaged three private jets at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Wednesday, according to the spokesman for the airport.
A picture from Israel’s Channel 12 News shows the inside of one of the jets entirely burned out. The cockpit of the plane is also destroyed, with burn marks and soot covering the instrument panel and the seats. Channel 12 notes that the picture has been approved for release by Israel’s military censor.
Since the start of the war with Iran, shrapnel and cluster munitions have caused damage near the airport multiple times, but this appears to be the first time that aircraft at the airport itself have been damaged.
The US has used the international airport for the operation of several Air Force aerial refueling tankers since the war began.
Vance acknowledges "rough road ahead" on gas prices but says it's "far worse" overseas
Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration recognizes rising gas prices due to the Iran war are a “problem,” telling Americans to expect a “rough road ahead of us for the next few weeks.”
He echoed President Donald Trump’s justification that the spike is “a temporary blip,” and later added another defense: “Overseas they’re feeling it far worse than we did.” Gas prices in Europe are typically higher than in the US.
“It’s not going to last forever. We’re going to take care of business. We’re going to come back home, and when that happens, you’re going to see energy prices come back down to reality. But in the meantime, we got a problem. We know that we have a problem. We’re doing everything that we can to address it,” Vance said at an event in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Wednesday’s AAA national average is $3.84 today for a gallon of regular, rising from one week ago, $3.58, and one month ago, $2.92. Meanwhile, states like California are facing average prices above $5.00 per gallon.
Vance vaguely teased some actions to combat higher gas prices will come in the next 24-48 hours. This morning, the White House announced it is temporarily lifting the Jones Act as an avenue to lower prices.
"A sense of safety:" Kuwaitis prepare for Eid amid Iranian attacks
With Eid set to take place in the next couple of days, Muslims in Kuwait are making preparations to celebrate the occasion, as the country continues to be attacked by Iran.
Nic Robertson spoke to Kuwaitis about how they plan to spend the festival this year amid the ongoing war in the region. You can watch this in the video above.
Oil prices climb, strikes hit Iranian energy facilities and more of the latest headlines
Global oil prices surpassed $108 per barrel today, as the US and Israel reportedly carried out strikes on parts of Iran’s oil and natural gas production facilities, according to state media.
If you’re just joining us, catch up here on the latest:
- Iran’s president confirmed what he called the “cowardly assassination” of some of his country’s top officials, including Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, who Israel said it killed in an overnight strike.
- The Iranian regime “appears to be intact, but largely degraded due to attacks on its leadership and military capabilities,” the US director of national intelligence said today.
- The White House is temporarily lifting the Jones Act, which imposes key limits on the shipping of oil, gas and other commodities throughout the US, in its latest effort to counter rising energy prices.
- Israel is attacking crossings on Lebanon’s Litani River to prevent the transfer of weapons by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah into the south of the country, the Israel Defense Forces said earlier.
CNN’s John Towfighi, Nadeen Ebrahim, Tal Shalev, Jennifer Hansler, Adam Cancryn and Charbel Mallo contributed to this reporting.
Israel says it blew up gas stations in southern Lebanon, claiming they supported Hezbollah
Israel launched airstrikes on several gas stations in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Israeli military, claiming they supported Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck five gas stations belonging to the Al-Amana Fuel Company, which it said was “controlled by Hezbollah and constitutes fundamental economic infrastructure.”
An image from the Lebanese state-run NNA news outlet showed one gas station destroyed in the town of Deir Canon Al-Nahr, with nearby buildings also suffering damage and black smoke pouring into the sky.
Oil prices jump following first reported attacks on Iranian production facilities
Oil and natural gas prices spiked Wednesday following reports of the first attacks on Iranian production facilities in the war, including the world’s biggest natural gas field.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped 5% to near $109 a barrel. WTI, the US benchmark, rose 2.5% to $98 a barrel. Benchmark European natural gas prices surged more than 8% at one point.
Iran’s semi-official Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported Wednesday that some key facilities belonging to the country’s oil and natural gas industry, including refineries, were hit by US-Israeli strikes.
Tasnim named South Pars, the world’s biggest natural gas field, and Asaluyeh, which has oil and petrochemical facilities. South Pars is shared with Qatar, which has already shut down the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas plant.
An Israeli source told CNN Wednesday that Israel had attacked the Asaluyeh facility in southwestern Iran. A separate Israeli official said the Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars facility had been carried out in coordination with the United States.
The incidents mark a major escalation in the conflict, which has so far largely spared Iran’s energy infrastructure. Earlier in the war, Israel attacked a fuel depot in Tehran and on Friday the United States targeted military infrastructure on Iran’s Kharg island.
“Energy markets are having to continuously price in a more prolonged disruption to oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz,” Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING, a bank, wrote in a note this week.
Brent crude settled at $103.42 Tuesday, its highest settlement price since the start of the war, as Iran intensified its attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf. Crude prices are up more than 40% since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
NATO chief says allies discussing how to reopen Strait of Hormuz
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the military alliance is discussing with its allies how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as he stressed that the key waterway must “open up again.”
Speaking to journalists in Norway today, Rutte highlighted the importance of the strait – which has remained largely blocked amid the Iran war – and said he was in contact with “many” allies over the issue.
US President Donald Trump criticized several NATO members earlier this week after they rebuffed his demands to send warships to escort oil tankers through the strait.
Iranian president decries "cowardly assassination" of country's top officials
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has decried what he called the “cowardly assassination” of some of his country’s top officials in recent days, including Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, who Israel said it killed in an overnight strike.
“The cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues Esmail Khatib, (top national security official) Ali Larijani, and (defense minister) Aziz Nasirzadeh, along with some of their family members and accompanying team, has left us heartbroken,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X.
Israel killed Larijani in an airstrike yesterday, while Nasirzadeh was killed during the first day of US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Israel "focused on causing pain," Beirut resident says after strikes
Residents of Lebanon’s capital city have been speaking to Reuters following an Israeli airstrike on central Beirut. One told the news agency there are no fighters in the city and that Israel is “just focused on causing pain.”
Israel has ramped up airstrikes across Lebanon in recent days, issuing extensive evacuation orders across the country. It said it had launched strikes targeting Hezbollah’s “rocket launching cells and launchers.”
Listen to what Abu Khalil told Reuters above.
IAEA chief says nuclear negotiations between US and Iran unlikely while war continues
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog will have “lots of high-level meetings” during a visit to Washington, DC, this week, but said that it appeared unlikely there will be a return to nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran while the war continues.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said Wednesday he would meet with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other officials who he would not name and is “quite frequently” in contact with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Grossi underscored the assessment that the Iran nuclear issue cannot be solved militarily, but did not give any indications that there would soon be a return to negotiations.
“For as long as there is a military campaign ongoing, I don’t think there will be a negotiation,” Grossi told reporters.
Grossi said he would discuss Iran, Russia and Ukraine, as well as nuclear fusion during his visit to Washington, which comes a day after Russia and Iran said a projectile hit the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant compound in western Iran. He indicated that the agency had not gotten independent confirmation of the strike. The agency is looking at images and it “doesn’t seem to be very significant,” but Grossi reiterated that any attack to any nuclear facility should always be avoided.
The IAEA had received “separate information” from Iran and Russia about a drone hit on the premises of the nuclear power plant, and based on the information the agency has so far, it might have hit a small building that contains a laboratory, Grossi said.
“The reactors have not been affected, and there are no casualties,” he said.
