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• Follow the latest updates on the war with Iran here.
What we know so far
• Iran’s threat: Iran’s military declared it is ready to close the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely and attack regional infrastructure if US President Donald Trump carries out a threat to bomb its power plants if the key waterway is not reopened by Monday evening. Separately, an Iranian source told CNN that Tehran is moving forward with monetizing control of the critical waterway.
• Strikes on Israel: Dozens of people were reported injured in Iranian missiles strikes across southern Israel and on Tel Aviv over the weekend. Israel said Sunday it has intercepted 92% of Iran’s ballistic missiles.
• Lebanon’s fears: President Joseph Aoun slammed Israel’s attacks on infrastructure in southern Lebanon on Sunday, saying that they are a “prelude to a ground invasion” and a clear violation of international law.
• Death toll climbs: The number of people reported killed in Iran and Lebanon since the start of the conflict is now into the thousands.
IEA chief warns energy crisis worse than 1970s oil shocks
Fatih Birol, the International Energy Agency’s executive director, has said the energy crisis is “very severe” and that the global economy is “facing a major, major threat.”
The situation, he said, is worse than the two consecutive oil crises in 1973 and 1979, in which the world lost about 10 million barrels of oil per day, and the gas market crash following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Asia, he said, is at the forefront of the crisis due to its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway which Iran has effectively closed.
The IEA chief said they were talking with countries including Canada and Mexico to increase oil production and release into the global market.
“We have stocks and we are incentivizing many countries with refineries to move faster than they normally do,” Birol said.
Iranian missile strikes have knocked out Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, and while Australia could fill the gap, it cannot do it alone, he said.
“Australia alone will not be able to offset the entire lack of LNG coming from Middle East, but there will be some new LNG facilities coming to the market in from Australia and elsewhere,” Birol said.
Following the IEA’s historic release of 400 million barrels of oil to ease the markets, Birol said the organization was consulting with governments around the world and more oil could be released if necessary.
“If needed, we can put more oil in the markets, both crude oil and products,” he said. “Our stock release will help to comfort the markets, but this is not the solution. It will only help to reduce the pain and the economy.”
At least 44 energy assets in the region have been severely or very severely damaged across nine countries, Birol said. Rationing and Covid-style measures to conserve energy may be needed for some time, with poorer nations suffering the most.
Asian markets plunge as Iran war deepens
Asian stocks plummeted in the early hours of Monday, as the United States and Iran escalated threats against each other with the critical oil and gas shipping lane – the Strait of Hormuz – still effectively shut.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index slid 3.5% as of 10:53 am local time, and South Korea’s Kospi plunged 4.9%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index shed 2.7%, and Taiwan’s Taiex was down 2.2%.
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and other East Asian economies are hugely reliant on oil and gas imports from the Gulf states, and much was shipped through the Strait of Hormuz before the war began. For now, the trio holds sufficient crude stockpiles for a few months.
Since the war began, the Nikkei 225 and the Kospi have both fallen by around 12%. The Hang Seng index and the Taiex have lost around 8% and 7% respectively.
1 wounded in Abu Dhabi as Gulf countries intercept drones and missiles
One person has been wounded by falling debris in Abu Dhabi, according to authorities, as countries in the Gulf say they are intercepting drones and missiles early Monday morning.
Here’s what’s happening in the Gulf:
- In the United Arab Emirates, an Indian national suffered minor injuries from falling debris in Abu Dhabi’s Al Shawamekh suburb following the “interception of a ballistic missile,” the government media office said. The UAE’s defense ministry said it was responding to “incoming missile and drone attacks from Iran.”
- Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said it was responding to drones in the eastern and northern border areas of the country.
- Kuwait’s air defenses were also intercepting “hostile missile and drone threats,” according to the country’s armed forces.
- And sirens were sounding in Bahrain, according to its interior ministry.
Meanwhile, in Iran, one person was killed and another wounded in port city Bandar Abbas in an attack targeting a Persian Gulf Broadcasting Center radio transmitter, part of the state broadcaster IRIB, said state-affiliated Mehr news. The agency also reported an explosion and air defenses activated in eastern Tehran.
US State Department urges Americans abroad "to exercise increased caution"
The US Department of State today advised Americans who are abroad, especially in the Middle East, “to exercise increased caution.”
“Americans abroad should follow the guidance in security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate,” the department said in a worldwide caution alert, noting that “periodic” airspace closures may disrupt travel and that US diplomatic buildings have been targeted.
The department urged Americans to enroll at step.state.gov to receive the latest security alerts and to follow the “U.S. Department of State - Security Updates for U.S. Citizens” channel on WhatsApp or @TravelGov on X.
The alert comes as the State Department has taken steps to bolster security measures amid the war with Iran. Last week, the agency ordered all diplomatic posts to “immediately” review their security postures amid the volatile situation in the Middle East “and the potential for spill-over effects,” according to a diplomatic cable sent worldwide and seen by CNN.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
High gas prices will likely last into the summer, petroleum expert says
Patrick de Haan, head of petroleum analysis at online price tracker GasBuddy, said he thinks the national average for gas prices will likely hit $4 per gallon tomorrow – and that “may just be the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
“Gas prices are not done climbing yet,” de Haan told CNN’s Jessica Dean today.
Gas prices have soared to an average of $3.94 nationwide as of Friday, up 96 cents from February 28, when the US-Israeli conflict with Iran began. And they are likely to last for the next several months and into the summer, he said.
De Haan said he expects more increases to affect at least a dozen states tomorrow as gas prices trickle down to pumps across the US.
When asked about President Donald Trump’s move to ease sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil, de Haan said the sanctions could “delay the onset of a surge in oil prices,” but eventually prices could go “well, well beyond where they are today.”
Even after the war ends, gas prices are going to come down at a “snail’s pace” because it takes time for markets to resupply, he said.
This post has been updated to reflect Sunday’s gas prices.
CNN’s Tami Luhby contributed to this report.
Tel Avivians reflect on their confidence in Israel’s air defense after failed interceptions
Habima Square is right in the heart of Tel Aviv.
Hours after a suspected bomblet from an Iranian cluster missile struck a nearby street, and a day after two missiles evaded interceptors in the desert towns of Dimona and Arad, CNN found Einat, 62, and Aviad, 67, sitting in a pub, sharing a drink.
Did they still have faith in the country’s air defense system to keep them safe?
Einat admitted she did have concerns.
“It’s still better than nothing, but it’s definitely worrying,” she said.
Aviad was more sanguine.
“It doesn’t intercept cluster munitions, and it can’t intercept them,” he said, adding, “It’s Russian roulette, and living here in this country is Russian roulette.”
Both said they followed government instructions to go to hardened shelters when the sirens came.
Most of the people CNN spoke with did not want to reveal their surnames.
Jennifer Hassan Smith, 52, who was also out enjoying a drink with a companion, said Iran’s increased use of cluster munitions actually made her feel safer, because their explosive power was much lower than missiles carrying a single warhead.
“If it falls and we are in a safe room, we are totally safe,” she said.
Israel’s military says interception rates remain over 90 percent. For Orna, who didn’t want to give her age, and told CNN she preferred to spend her nights at the underground parking lot at Habima, rather than sleep at home, that level of success is good enough.
“Nothing in this world is perfect, including the air defense system. It is expected there will be occasional casualties or imperfections. The military draws conclusions and learns lessons, and I hope there will be fewer casualties in the future,” she said.
Five Israeli settlers arrested in West Bank amid escalating attacks on Palestinians
Five Israeli settlers were arrested in the occupied West Bank on Sunday evening, according to Israeli security forces, amid a second consecutive night of widespread attacks on Palestinians.
Social media videos posted by the head of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mustafa Barghouti, showed settlers torching cars and buildings in the village of Deir al-Hatab in the northern West Bank. Baghouti said that settlers expanded their attacks after Saturday’s wave of violence, “burning several houses, and cars and injuring several Palestinian citizens.”
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said at least 10 Palestinains were injured, including six from beatings and one from a gunshot wound.
Israeli security forces responded to multiple reports of “violent assault, arson and public disturbances carried out by Israeli civilians,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and police said in a joint statement. Security forces found a settler vehicle with weapons stored inside as they arrested five settlers.
In another incident near the settlement of Yitzhar, settlers attacked Israeli security forces, injuring a border police officer and damaging a vehicle belonging to the security forces. The IDF said it views such violence “with severity.”
The Palestinian Authority’s minister of foreign affairs, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, said in a statement on social media, “Organized settler terror is escalating across West Bank; homes burned, civilians attacked, and holy sites desecrated. Protected by Israeli forces, these atrocities are blatant war crimes.”
Oil prices rise after Iran threatens to close Strait of Hormuz following Trump ultimatum
Oil prices rose Sunday after Iran threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely in response to President Donald Trump’s ultimatum demanding the restoration of oil traffic through the critical waterway.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed 1.69% to about $114.09 a barrel. U.S. crude rose 2% to $100.29. Goldman Sachs said Friday that elevated prices could persist through 2027.
Trump said over the weekend that the United States would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by Monday evening. Iran responded that if Trump follows through on the threat, it would completely close the strait and refuse to reopen it until any destroyed power plants are rebuilt.
Iran also said it would target US and Israeli energy and communications infrastructure in the region.
The war in Iran, now in its fourth week, has already caused major disruption to global oil markets, largely because of the effective closure of the strait, one of the world’s busiest oil shipping routes.
NATO chief addresses criticism from Trump about alliance's role. Catch the latest updates
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he is “absolutely convinced” the alliance will be able to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following the sharp criticism US President Donald Trump has levied at the alliance.
Rutte’s statement on Fox comes as Trump threatened to bomb Iran’s power plants if Tehran does not reopen the critical shipping route.
Catch up on more of today’s headlines:
- Israeli settlers launched widespread attacks on several Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank yesterday, setting homes and vehicles on fire and injuring at least 11 Palestinians, according to eyewitnesses and activist groups. Violence in the West Bank has surged since the start of the war with Iran.
- GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she’s considering pushing for Congress to vote to authorize the war in Iran if Trump decides to put US troops in the country.
- The Israeli military is examining whether friendly fire killed a civilian in the northern Israeli community of Misgav Am, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement, after initially blaming the incident on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a long war in Iran benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russian forces began a spring offensive in eastern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian military and analysts.
- US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said rising fertilizer costs from the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz are unlikely to lead to higher food prices in the US, even as global supply chains face renewed strain.
Vanessa Garcia Polanco, with the National Young Farmers Coalition, explains what’s at stake for the industry as prices rise due to the war in Iran.
CNN’s Mitchell McCluskey, Zeena Saifi, Alison Main, Tal Shalev, Oren Liebermann, Alejandra Jaramillo, Tim Lister and Daria Tarasova-Markina contributed to this report.
GOP senator says she’s considering options for Congress to vote on Iran war authorization
GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she’s considering pushing for Congress to vote to authorize the war in Iran if President Donald Trump decides to put US troops in the country.
The senator from Alaska added that Congress has voted on resolutions to rein in Trump’s war powers, but “I’m thinking it’s time we need to be looking at what an AUMF might look like.”
An authorization for military force, or AUMF, is a joint resolution that Congress can approve to allow the president to exercise broad military powers in specific circumstances.
“Congress has more of a role in this than just signing off on the funding,” Murkowski argued, adding “some contours have not clearly been defined.”
Murkowski said she has mostly talked to GOP colleagues about the need to step up efforts to authorize the war.
“I think that there is interest in finding out what it might look like,” she said.
NATO chief "absolutely convinced" alliance will reopen Strait of Hormuz
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Sunday that he is “absolutely convinced” that the alliance will be able to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to Fox News, Rutte addressed the sharp criticism US President Donald Trump has levied at the alliance.
Rutte argued that the secret nature of the military operation required NATO countries to take time to calibrate their response.
“European allies and partners all over the world have used the last couple of weeks to make sure that we come together. They start planning to see what we can do collectively as allies, as partners of the United States,” the NATO chief said.
He also called the US operation “crucial” due to the “existential threat” from Iran.
CNN’s Anna Cooban reports that analysts are warning that oil and gas prices could hit new highs the longer the Iran war blocks the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz if US targets energy infrastructure
Iran’s military vowed to close the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely if the US follows through on President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb power plants.
Iran’s military added that if the country’s energy infrastructure is targeted, the critical waterway would not be reopened until any power plants damaged or destroyed in US strikes are rebuilt. It also said that all Israeli energy and communications infrastructure will be targeted, as well as “similar companies in the region with U.S. shareholders.”
If you’re just tuning in, we’re tracking developments in the US-Israeli war with Iran. Catch up on the latest:
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Trump will do whatever is necessary to achieve his goals in the Middle East. This comes after the US threatened to target Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened within 48 hours.
- Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said threats against Iran “only strengthen our unity.” Pezeshkian posted on X, “The Strait of Hormuz is open to all except those who violate our soil. We firmly confront delirious threats on the battlefield.”
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has expressed hope that nuclear talks between the US and Iran could be reestablished in the event of a cessation of fighting. Asked whether he has spoken to the White House about IAEA inspections inside Iran, Grossi said: ‘We are considering these options, of course.”
- Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel’s attacks on Lebanese infrastructure in southern Lebanon on Sunday and said that they are a “prelude to a ground invasion” and in “clear violation” of international law.
- Israel’s military said it has intercepted the majority of more than 400 ballistic missiles that Iran has fired at Israel since the start of the US-Israeli war. The Israeli military also said in a statement that it is examining whether friendly fire killed a civilian in the northern Israeli community of Misgav Am.
- Iran’s latest internet shutdown, now in its fourth week, is heightening the “wartime distress” being experienced by millions of civilians across the country, according to internet watchdog NetBlocks.
- Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, called on Israel and the US to spare civilian infrastructure, following earlier reports that thousands of civilian units in the country have been damaged.
- A new poll from CBS News and YouGov found that two-thirds of Americans see the war with Iran as a choice rather than a necessity.
CNN’s Tim Lister, Eyad Kourdi, Kara Fox, Billy Stockwell and Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.
Israeli settlers launch attacks in West Bank amid surge in violence against Palestinians
Israeli settlers launched widespread attacks on several Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank on Saturday, setting homes and vehicles on fire and injuring at least 11 Palestinians, according to eyewitnesses and activist groups.
In one of the most severe attacks, video obtained by CNN shows settlers torching cars and property in the village of Jalud, south of Nablus, with thick plumes of smoke rising from the area. CCTV footage from the village shows dozens of hooded and masked settlers charging down a street armed with clubs.
The Sumud Network activist group said settlers attacked Jalud and nearby Qaryout in waves, vandalizing and torching more than 10 homes.
A similar attack unfolded in Fundiqmiya, which lies to the north of Nablus, where a large group of settlers raided the village, smashing cars and setting fire to at least two homes, according to Sumud and videos from the scene.
Mustafa Barghouti, the head of the Palestinian National Initiative, said settlers are exploiting the war with Iran “to launch massive terrorist attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.” Barghouti said settlers even torched the emergency room in the medical clinic in Jalud.
CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment on the overnight wave of settler violence.
The attacks came after an Israeli settler was killed in a car crash with a Palestinian resident in the village of Beit Imrin earlier Saturday. The Israeli military said it was examining the possibility of that the accident was an intentional attack. According to Israeli activists, settlers issued calls to avenge the settler’s death.
Violence in the West Bank has surged since the start of the war with Iran. Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group, said last week that there had been an average of 10 settler attacks per day on Palestinians since the beginning of March.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have done little to effectively stop the wave of attacks, despite condemnation of the violence by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
“Anyone who thinks these actions contribute to security is wrong. They are morally and ethically reprehensible, and they cause extraordinary strategic damage to the IDF’s efforts,” he said last week.
Israel strikes crucial bridge in Lebanon as it accelerates attacks on infrastructure
Israel struck a critical bridge today over the Litani River, which connects southern Lebanon with the rest of the country.
CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh reports from the scene:
The Israeli military struck a critical bridge in Southern Lebanon over the Litani River on Sunday amid escalating tensions with Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun condemned Israeli attacks on infrastructure as a “dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier the military would accelerate its demolition of homes along the southern Lebanese border and destroy all bridges over the Litani River.
The military also confirmed the destruction of two major bridges over the Litani River this week, effectively isolating civilians south of the river who were unable to evacuate before the strikes, while also cutting off food and medical supply routes.
CNN’s Eyad Kourdi, Kara Fox and Eugenia Yosef contributed to this report.
Israeli military examining whether friendly fire killed civilian in northern Israel
The Israeli military is examining whether friendly fire killed a civilian in the northern Israeli community of Misgav Am, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
The IDF and emergency responders had initially blamed the incident on Hezbollah in Lebanon. It would’ve marked the first civilian killed by Hezbollah since the start of the war with Iran. It is unclear what led the IDF to examine the possibility that it was friendly fire.
“The IDF is conducting a comprehensive investigation involving all relevant authorities following the fire toward Misgav Am this morning, in which an Israeli civilian was killed. The possibility that the incident involved fire originating from IDF soldiers is being examined,” the IDF said in its statement.
US Agriculture secretary says US food prices unlikely to spike due to Iran war
US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said today rising fertilizer costs from the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz are unlikely to lead to higher food prices in the US, even as global supply chains face renewed strain.
Rollins told Fox News a majority of US farmers submitted fertilizer orders last fall, so there “shouldn’t be too much of a disruption or an increase in the cost of planting for at least most of our farmers.”
Rollins echoed previous remarks by President Donald Trump that the war’s impact on food prices is a “temporary conflict.”
Remember: Many countries in the Middle East rely on the Strait of Hormuz – one of the world’s most critical shipping routes – for the transfer of a majority of food imports. The World Food Programme has warned supply chains could face their most severe disruption with the US-Israeli war with Iran since the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Son of Iran's last shah asks Israel and US to spare civilian infrastructure
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, called on Israel and the United States today to spare civilian infrastructure in their strikes on Iran, following earlier reports that thousands of civilian units in the country have been damaged.
Pahlavi did, however, express his continued support for the US and Israel’s targeting of the Iranian regime and its “apparatus of repression.”
Pahlavi went on to ask US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “continue targeting the regime and its apparatus of repression, while sparing the civilian infrastructure Iranians will need to rebuild our country.”
Strikes across Iran have damaged more than 80,000 civilian units, including medical centers, schools and ambulances, Iran’s Red Crescent Society reported earlier today, according to Iranian media. CNN cannot independently verify the figures or the circumstances of the reported damage and has reached out to US Central Command and the Israeli military for comment.
US envoy to UN echoes Trump’s threats to Iran power plants as tensions rise
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz addressed the latest tensions surrounding the war with Iran in a series of Sunday TV show interviews.
Here are key lines from Waltz:
- Trump’s threats against Iran’s power plants: Waltz reinforced President Donald Trump’s warning that the United States would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. “He will start by attacking and destroying one of Iran’s largest power plants,” Waltz said on “Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo” when asked what the president would do if the Strait was not reopened by Monday night. “There are gas-fired thermal power plants and other type of plants.”
- Potential war crime?: Asked whether targeting energy infrastructure could constitute a war crime, Waltz pointed to Iran’s own actions. “I would encourage and will encourage the (UN) secretary general to point out the 20 to 30,000 Iranians that the regime massacred at scale,” Waltz said on CBS’ “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” He added, “I have no doubt that the president, the Pentagon, their team, will ensure that what they target is geared towards the military infrastructure of Iran.”
- On the Strait of Hormuz: Waltz said the US could reopen the Strait of Hormuz either by itself or in coordination with allies. “I think it can be both. It’s not necessarily mutually exclusive,” Waltz said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Waltz’s comments follow Trump’s criticism of NATO allies on Friday, when he called them “cowards” for not helping the US reopen the strategic waterway.
Iran's president says threats "only strengthen our unity" following Trump ultimatum
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said today that threats against Iran “only strengthen our unity” after US President Donald Trump vowed to attack the country’s power plants unless the Strait of Hormuz is “fully opened.”
Trump said Saturday he would “hit and obliterate” Tehran’s infrastructure if the critical waterway was not fully open to shipping within 48 hours.
Iran’s armed forces headquarters declared earlier today that it is ready to close the strait indefinitely if Trump carries out his threat.
