Here's the latest
• Doubt on deal: President Donald Trump said it’s up to Iranian leaders to convince him to halt the war, saying he doesn’t care about making a deal and the US has additional targets “to hit before we leave.”
• What Iran says: Trump insisted that it was Tehran that sought to restart negotiations. Meanwhile, Iranian media reports that Iran has “complete doubt” about Washington’s willingness to negotiate.
• Iran navy chief dead: The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy, a key figure behind the near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, has been killed, according to Israel’s defense minister.
• Kharg Island: An Iranian army commander warned that any ground warfare would be “dangerous and costly for the enemy.” Even if the US seized the strategic island, experts have questioned whether this would give the US enough leverage to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Supreme leader’s adviser warns any attack on Iran will “boomerang” on participants
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, warned that any country taking part in military action against Iran would face “a boomerang” of repercussions, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported Thursday.
“Any participation in military aggression against Iran will definitely return to the participants like a boomerang,” Velayati said, and he suggested that the Persian Gulf would be a focal point for retaliation.
“The geography of the Persian Gulf cannot remain without consequences,” he said. He added that “events will definitely occur” that would be “to the detriment of those threatening Iran’s national security.”
IAEA chief warns strikes near Iran nuclear plant could trigger "major radiological accident"
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog expressed “deep concern” Thursday over recent military strikes that “reportedly” took place near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, warning that any damage to the operating facility could cause a “major radiological accident.”
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said the latest strikes took place on Tuesday evening.
Because Bushehr is an operating nuclear power plant and contains “a large amount of nuclear material,” Grossi warned that damage to the facility could result in “a major radiological accident affecting a large area in Iran and beyond.”
Grossi again called for “maximum restraint” to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident and stressed the importance of observing what the IAEA describes as the “seven pillars” for ensuring nuclear safety and security during armed conflict.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said Tuesday that a projectile struck the grounds of the Bushehr nuclear plant on Tuesday night local time. It described the incident as a “renewed attack” by the “American–Israeli enemy.”
CNN has reached out to the US Department of Defense and the Israeli military for comment.
Israeli forces kill Hezbollah senior commander in Lebanon, military says
Israeli forces killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the military, as Israeli troops expanded the deadly assault in the south.
The Israeli Air Force “struck and eliminated” Hassan Mohammad Bashir, a senior commander in the Hajir area, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement Thursday.
Israel has pressed on with military attacks in Lebanon since March 2, after Hezbollah launched projectiles into Israel following deadly US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Elsewhere in the region: Israeli forces also struck sites in the Kermanshah province of western Iran, and further south in Dezful.
The military was “targeting weapons storage and launching sites intended for ballistic missiles and aerial defense systems,” the IDF said, adding that its strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile array are aimed at “reducing the scope of fire directed at Israeli civilians.”
IDF chief of staff warns of strain on military as it fights on multiple fronts
The Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, warned government ministers Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are under severe strain due to manpower shortages and expanded operational demands, an Israeli source told CNN.
“I am raising 10 red flags before the IDF collapses into itself,” Zamir said, according to remarks first reported by Israel’s channel 13 and confirmed to CNN on Thursday.
The Israeli military is currently operating on multiple active fronts, including Iran, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, Syria and the occupied West Bank.
The broadened military activity has intensified pressure on IDF manpower. During the Gaza war, the military officially acknowledged a lack of around 12,000 soldiers.
The shortfall comes amid an ongoing conscription crisis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has not passed legislation regulating the conscription of ultra-Orthodox youth and has not taken steps to extend mandatory service or reform reserve duty.
Zamir made the comments during a security cabinet meeting that discussed, among other topics, the recent increase in settler violence in the West Bank.
Last week, the chief of staff said that “in recent weeks there has been a rise on nationalistic crime incidents,” and he urged state institutions to act against the phenomenon.
CNN has previously reported that the IDF diverted a combat battalion from the northern border with Lebanon to the West Bank amid the wartime surge in settler violence against Palestinians.
Rubio says "progress has been made" in negotiations with Iran
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that “progress has been made” in negotiations with Iran but declined to get into the specifics of whom he’s had discussions with.
Negotiations are an “ongoing and fluid process,” he added.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed earlier today at President Donald Trump’s Cabinet meeting that the US has been negotiating with Iran through diplomatic channels with Pakistan.
When asked if he’s going to ask the other G7 countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said, “it’s in their interest to help.”
When asked if he’s concerned about the reception he might receive amid the war, Rubio said, “I’m not concerned about it.”
“I’m not there to make them happy. I get along with all of them on a personal level and we work with those governments very carefully but the people I’m interested in making happy are the people of the United States,” he added.
Iran's slain naval chief oversaw Hormuz closure and tanker attacks, US and Israel say
The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy, Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, was killed in an Israeli operation, according to the Israeli military and US Central Command on Thursday. Iranian authorities have not commented on the claims of Tangsiri’s death.
Tangsiri, 62, was instrumental in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and orchestrated hundreds of drone strikes on commercial vessels throughout his years in charge, Israeli and American officials said in separate statements.
Tangsiri, born in the Iranian port city of Arvandkenar at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf, was appointed as chief of the IRGC navy in 2018. He previously served as the first regional commander of the IRGC navy, according to the Israeli military.
During his tenure, he led military buildup efforts that included the acquisition of thousands of weapons, particularly missiles and naval mines, according to an Israeli military official. The official also said that Tangsiri’s authority expanded during the war and that “he became the sole approver for most terror activities carried out in the maritime domain in southern Iran.”
He was designated as a terrorist by the US Treasury Department in June 2019 for acting on behalf of the IRGC, and additional sanctions were imposed in 2023 related to the development of Iranian drones. At the time, he was chairman of the board for Paravar Pars, an Iranian-based firm sanctioned by Western allies for manufacturing Shahed drones supplied to Russia.
US Central Command said in a statement that Tangsiri was was responsible for killing “countless innocent civilians” and harassing “thousands of innocent merchant mariners” with attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf.
Iranians say Trump “cannot really be trusted” as his agenda keeps fluctuating
Young women waved Iranian flags and held photos of the slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran on Thursday as US-Israeli bombing entered a fourth week with no end in sight.
The heavy rumble of traffic reverberated through the Iranian capital, in footage published by Reuters. For several residents in Tehran, the realization that their fate may depend on the whims of one man compounded the anxiety, frustration and fears of persistent US-Israeli bombing across the country.
Diplomatic channels between Iran and the US seem to be open — but the status and frequency of talks are unclear. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump belligerently declared that “I don’t care” about reaching a deal with Tehran to end the violence, just hours after the White House claimed the discussions were proceeding apace. Iranian officials have maintained they are in “complete doubt” over Washington’s willingness to engage in ceasefire discussions.
One Iranian woman in Tehran told Reuters, “If they (the Americans) had truly destroyed our forces, then why are they making so many requests for negotiations?
Another resident said Trump’s conflicting remarks were “part of his media game, aimed at creating division between the people.” The man added, “His statements cannot really be trusted,” Reuters reported.
Rubio heads to G7 meeting in France as hopes dim for a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio departs for the G7 ministerial meeting in France today as prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran continue to dim and differences remain between the US and many of its G7 partners over the war.
Rubio heads to the ministerial, which is being held outside of Paris in Vaux-de-Cernay, as President Donald Trump continues to lash out at members of the G7 and NATO for what he says was a failure to support the US war effort.
“They weren’t there. So what makes you think they’d be there if we needed them for something?” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting earlier.
The US has also sought to pressure the G7 to send military assets to open the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the French foreign ministry, G7 partners will discuss potential avenues for negotiations on the war in Iran, “the reopening of maritime and trade routes,” and the “cessation of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.”
Ukraine is also expected to be a key topic of the meeting, and the French ministry said the aim “is to continue to support Kyiv in terms of capabilities and energy and to maintain pressure on Russia.”
The US has temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil, and there are concerns about the impact the Iran war will have on military supplies for Ukraine.
What Trump and top officials said about the Iran war in today’s Cabinet meeting
President Donald Trump and top officials discussed the war with Iran at length during today’s Cabinet meeting.
Trump cast doubt on the prospect of a peace deal with Tehran. The president claimed the onus was on Iran to come to the table and end the fighting. “In the meantime, we’ll just keep blowing them away unimpeded, unstopped,” he said.
He later added that he doesn’t care about reaching a deal with Iran as the US signals it is prepared to continue military operations.
Meanwhile, the president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that the US has been negotiating with Iran through diplomatic channels with Pakistan.
Here’s what else was said about the war:
- Trump urged Iran to permanently abandon its nuclear ambitions, and said that they now have a chance to “chart a new path forward.”
- Trump declined to say whether the US would move to secure uranium in Iran, dismissing the question as “ridiculous.”
- Witkoff said Iranian officials insisted they had a right to enrich uranium during talks held before the war, leading US officials to conclude they were unwilling to abandon their nuclear ambitions.
- Trump criticized German leaders for not supporting the war in Iran and said comments that it was not their war were “inappropriate” given that the US has backed allies in the conflict in Ukraine.
- Trump said he wasn’t sure if he would hold Iran to a Friday deadline he set to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- The president suggested that taking over Iran’s oil supply is “an option.” He said a resolution in Iran could look like Venezuela.
- He downplayed rising gas prices and impacts to the stock market as a result of the war, saying that it “hasn’t been nearly as severe as I thought.”
- Trump indicated he’s not yet ready to push for a suspension of the federal gas tax but that it remains an option as his administration tries to combat surging energy prices.
- He said the mystery “present” he told reporters earlier this week that Iran had given to the US as part of negotiations was 10 “boats of oil” that successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
- Vice President JD Vance argued that the war has been a resounding success, contending that the offensive has opened up new pathways for ensuring the regime cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.
CNN’s Adam Cancryn, Alejandra Jaramillo, Betsy Klein and Christian Sierra contributed to this report.
Philippines has 40-45 days of petroleum supply left, foreign secretary tells CNN
The Philippines became the first country in the world to announce a state of emergency in response to energy shortages triggered by the war in the Middle East.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that the country had 40-45 days’ worth of petroleum supply left and outlined the “cascading effects” of higher energy prices on the economy.
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of national energy emergency on Tuesday, warning that there was an “imminent danger” to the “availability and stability of the country’s energy supply.”
Measures include enforcing energy conservation measures, introducing fuel subsidies and other initiatives to reduce transport costs, taking action against hoarding, profiteering and manipulation of the supply of petroleum products.
Israeli man killed in his car during Hezbollah attack on northern Israel
An Israeli man has been killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack on the northern Israeli city of Nahariya, according to Israel’s national emergency service.
It marks the second Israeli civilian casualty caused by Hezbollah fire since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
A man in his 30s was pronounced dead, according to Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA). He was killed in his car as a result of a direct hit on the vehicle, the country’s fire and rescue authority said.
Another 14 people sustained shrapnel and blast injuries, including a man in his 50s who was left in a serious condition, MDA said.
Three sites are known to have been hit in the rocket barrage fired on the city by Hezbollah Thursday, the fire and rescue authority said. One suffered a hazardous materials incident with damage to gas infrastructure, another saw munitions fall in an open area, and in a third, vehicles caught fire in a parking area, according to the authority.
Images from the aftermath of the attack showed smoke billowing from a site of impact, while other footage showed emergency workers hosing down damaged vehicles.
Throughout the day on Thursday, Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets at northern Israeli communities, the majority of them intercepted by Israel’s air defenses or hitting open land.
Separately, eight people in central Israel sustained injuries from Iranian missiles on Thursday, according to MDA, including six in Kfar Qasim and two in Tel Aviv.
It comes after a 30-year-old woman was killed earlier this week by a Hezbollah rocket fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, according to authorities.
The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah erupted on March 2, two days into the US-Israeli war against Iran, with the Tehran-backed militia firing a barrage of rockets into Israel.
What the US treasury secretary meant when he said the oil market is "well-supplied"
“The oil market is well-supplied,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at a Cabinet meeting a short while ago.
Huh? Aren’t we in the middle of the largest oil supply shock in history?
Yes. And yes. Both things are true.
Bessent is repeating a fact that oil industry analysts have frequently noted during this oil crisis: The world has more than enough oil. It’s just stuck in the wrong place right now.
Oil prices were around $60 a barrel earlier this year for two reasons: Oil-producing nations, including OPEC+ countries, were gradually increasing supply as producers grew antsy about declining oil revenue. And demand for oil has fallen in recent years as the inflation crisis and economic concerns kept some people from spending or traveling.
That’s why contracts for Brent crude, the international benchmark, are currently trading in the $75 range for oil set for delivery in 2027: Once the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, traders expect the market dynamics to reset. The world will once again be more than adequately supplied with oil once it can flow again.
But with the strait closed, two other problems presented themselves: Some facilities in the Middle East have shut down oil production because there’s literally no place to store crude right now. Production doesn’t come back on like a light switch; it can take weeks to restore those facilities to full operation.
Also, Iran and Israel have damaged refineries and natural gas facilities in the region — some beyond repair. It could take years for some of those facilities to come fully online again.
Together, these disruptions have tightened supply, pushing oil prices higher.
Trump indicates Friday deadline for Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz is flexible
President Donald Trump said he wasn’t sure if he would hold Iran to a Friday deadline he set to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“I don’t know yet. I don’t know. Mr. Witkoff and JD and Jared will tell me whether or not they think it’s going along, and if it’s not going along, maybe not,” Trump said, referring to Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, whom he has tasked with negotiations.
The deadline originally expired last Monday, but Trump offered an extension to Friday amid diplomatic discussions. On the eve of the second deadline, Trump indicated there was still plenty of time.
“We have a lot of time, you know what? It’s a day in ‘Trump time.’ A day — you know what it is? That’s an eternity,” he said.
Taking control of Iran's oil supply is "an option," according to Trump
President Donald Trump said today that taking over Iran’s oil supply is “an option.”
“I mean, I wouldn’t talk about it, but it’s an option,” Trump said, when asked by a reporter if that was a possibility. He suggested a resolution in Iran could look like Venezuela, where the US ousted Nicolas Maduro from power and began working with acting president Delcy Rodríguez on oil and other issues.
“Well, in Venezuela, we’ve done very well working with Venezuela. Certainly we’ve taken in billions and billions of dollars. And by the way, Venezuela is doing better right now than they’ve ever done in the history of their country, and sort of like a joint venture, but the United States has made a lot of money,” Trump said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that in the first two months of 2026, Venezuela “generated more revenue from oil sales than they had most of all of last year” and that the “money’s not being stolen anymore.”
Trump later said that the United States did not “need” the Strait of Hormuz and sought to downplay the impact of the war on the US supply.
“We have so much oil. Our country is not affected by this. We have more, we have twice the amount of oil as Saudi Arabia or Russia, and soon it’ll be three times the amount,” Trump said.
"I don't care" about making Iran deal, Trump says
President Donald Trump said he doesn’t care about reaching a deal with Iran, underscoring a hardline stance as the US signals it is prepared to continue military operations.
“I read a story today that I’m desperate to make a deal. I’m not,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. “I’m the opposite of desperate. I don’t care.”
Trump’s comments come as he has said it is up to Iranian leaders to convince him to halt the war, warning the US will press forward if Tehran does not permanently abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Trump reveals Iran's "present": allowing 10 boats of oil through the Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump said today that the mystery “present” he told reporters earlier this week that Iran had given to the US as part of negotiations was 10 “boats of oil” that successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil thoroughfare.
Trump had suggested earlier this week that the goodwill gesture had aided diplomatic efforts to end the war – though he was coy on what, exactly, it was.
“It was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money, and I’m not going to tell you what the present is, but it was a very significant prize,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Today, Trump said the US had engaged in “very substantial talks” with unnamed Iranian officials, and that the oil tankers’ movement through the strait marked proof that negotiators were serious.
“They said, ‘To show you the fact that we’re real and solid and we’re there, we’re going to let you have eight boats of oil, eight boats, eight big boats of oil,’” Trump said, adding that “they were right and they were real” and the boats sailed through the Strait of Hormuz bearing Pakistani flags.
He added that the Iranians also sent two additional boats “to apologize for something they said.”
The episode proved to the US, Trump said, that “we’re dealing with the right people.”
Trump was also asked whether he thought Iran should be able to charge a toll for vessels crossing the strait.
“They shouldn’t be able to, but they’re doing it a little bit,” he said.
Trump calls out Germany on Iran conflict, citing US support for Ukraine
President Donald Trump criticized German leaders for not supporting the war in Iran and said their comments were “inappropriate” given that the US has backed allies in the conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking on Ukraine, Trump said, “I think that’s calming down a little bit. And I think we have a chance of getting it done, but … it doesn’t affect us thousands of miles away.”
“That’s why when I heard the head of Germany say, ‘This is not our war’ about Iran, I said, well, Ukraine’s not our war. We helped, but Ukraine’s not our war. I thought it was a very inappropriate statement to make, but he made it. You can’t erase it. But he felt that way,” Trump said.
It comes after a spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the Iran conflict last week, saying, “This war has nothing to do with NATO. It is not NATO’s war.”
“Participation has not been considered before the war and is not being considered now,” the spokesperson said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also dismissed Trump’s request for assistance. “What does … Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful US Navy cannot do?” he asked. “This is not our war; we have not started it.”
CNN’s Christian Edwards contributed to this report.
Trump signals he's not yet ready to push for federal gas tax suspension
President Donald Trump indicated he’s not yet ready to push for a suspension of the federal gas tax, but that it remains an option as his administration tries to combat surging energy prices.
Trump officials have sought a range of ways to ease oil and gas prices since launching the war in Iran, which prompted Iranian leaders to effectively close access to the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway’s closure has since thrown the global oil markets into crisis and generated a sharp increase in US gas prices.
But Trump indicated he’s not yet ready to seek a suspension of the gas tax, a complicated proposition that would likely require cooperation from Congress or various state governments, arguing that the economy would rebound once the war is over.
“We’re going to take a little bit of a hit, a short-term hit,” Trump said. “It’s going to go up much higher than it was, in my opinion.”
Trump dodges question on securing Iran’s uranium, calls it “ridiculous"
President Donald Trump declined to say whether the United States would move to secure uranium in Iran, dismissing the question as inappropriate amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
“And let’s assume I was or I wasn’t. Why would I ever answer a question?” Trump said when asked whether the US would try to take Iran’s uranium and how it would be secured.
“What kind of a question,” he added. “…‘Oh, yeah, we’re going in tomorrow at 3 o’clock,’” Trump quipped. “How could you possibly ask a question like that, an expected answer?”
“It’s just such a ridiculous question,” he added.
"He’s doing a great job”: Trump defends Hegseth at Cabinet meeting
President Donald Trump praised his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, insisting he’s “doing a great job” amid the war in Iran.
“Pete Hegseth, who’s, who was born for this role. I mean, he’s doing a great job,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday.
Trump had said earlier this week that Hegseth was “quite disappointed” by the prospect of the US negotiating a ceasefire with Iran.
“Pete didn’t want it to be settled,” Trump said on Tuesday, adding that Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine were the “only two people that were quite disappointed.” Trump praised their reluctance, calling it a “good attitude.”
“They were not interested in settlement,” Trump said. “They were interested in just winning this thing.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed frustration over an insufficiency of information from the White House over conflicting statements on war objectives and the length of the conflict.
Here's the latest
• Doubt on deal: President Donald Trump said it’s up to Iranian leaders to convince him to halt the war, saying he doesn’t care about making a deal and the US has additional targets “to hit before we leave.”
• What Iran says: Trump insisted that it was Tehran that sought to restart negotiations. Meanwhile, Iranian media reports that Iran has “complete doubt” about Washington’s willingness to negotiate.
• Iran navy chief dead: The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy, a key figure behind the near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, has been killed, according to Israel’s defense minister.
• Kharg Island: An Iranian army commander warned that any ground warfare would be “dangerous and costly for the enemy.” Even if the US seized the strategic island, experts have questioned whether this would give the US enough leverage to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Supreme leader’s adviser warns any attack on Iran will “boomerang” on participants
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, warned that any country taking part in military action against Iran would face “a boomerang” of repercussions, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported Thursday.
“Any participation in military aggression against Iran will definitely return to the participants like a boomerang,” Velayati said, and he suggested that the Persian Gulf would be a focal point for retaliation.
“The geography of the Persian Gulf cannot remain without consequences,” he said. He added that “events will definitely occur” that would be “to the detriment of those threatening Iran’s national security.”
IAEA chief warns strikes near Iran nuclear plant could trigger "major radiological accident"
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog expressed “deep concern” Thursday over recent military strikes that “reportedly” took place near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, warning that any damage to the operating facility could cause a “major radiological accident.”
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said the latest strikes took place on Tuesday evening.
Because Bushehr is an operating nuclear power plant and contains “a large amount of nuclear material,” Grossi warned that damage to the facility could result in “a major radiological accident affecting a large area in Iran and beyond.”
Grossi again called for “maximum restraint” to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident and stressed the importance of observing what the IAEA describes as the “seven pillars” for ensuring nuclear safety and security during armed conflict.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said Tuesday that a projectile struck the grounds of the Bushehr nuclear plant on Tuesday night local time. It described the incident as a “renewed attack” by the “American–Israeli enemy.”
CNN has reached out to the US Department of Defense and the Israeli military for comment.
Israeli forces kill Hezbollah senior commander in Lebanon, military says
Israeli forces killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the military, as Israeli troops expanded the deadly assault in the south.
The Israeli Air Force “struck and eliminated” Hassan Mohammad Bashir, a senior commander in the Hajir area, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement Thursday.
Israel has pressed on with military attacks in Lebanon since March 2, after Hezbollah launched projectiles into Israel following deadly US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Elsewhere in the region: Israeli forces also struck sites in the Kermanshah province of western Iran, and further south in Dezful.
The military was “targeting weapons storage and launching sites intended for ballistic missiles and aerial defense systems,” the IDF said, adding that its strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile array are aimed at “reducing the scope of fire directed at Israeli civilians.”
IDF chief of staff warns of strain on military as it fights on multiple fronts
The Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, warned government ministers Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are under severe strain due to manpower shortages and expanded operational demands, an Israeli source told CNN.
“I am raising 10 red flags before the IDF collapses into itself,” Zamir said, according to remarks first reported by Israel’s channel 13 and confirmed to CNN on Thursday.
The Israeli military is currently operating on multiple active fronts, including Iran, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, Syria and the occupied West Bank.
The broadened military activity has intensified pressure on IDF manpower. During the Gaza war, the military officially acknowledged a lack of around 12,000 soldiers.
The shortfall comes amid an ongoing conscription crisis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has not passed legislation regulating the conscription of ultra-Orthodox youth and has not taken steps to extend mandatory service or reform reserve duty.
Zamir made the comments during a security cabinet meeting that discussed, among other topics, the recent increase in settler violence in the West Bank.
Last week, the chief of staff said that “in recent weeks there has been a rise on nationalistic crime incidents,” and he urged state institutions to act against the phenomenon.
CNN has previously reported that the IDF diverted a combat battalion from the northern border with Lebanon to the West Bank amid the wartime surge in settler violence against Palestinians.
Rubio says "progress has been made" in negotiations with Iran
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that “progress has been made” in negotiations with Iran but declined to get into the specifics of whom he’s had discussions with.
Negotiations are an “ongoing and fluid process,” he added.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed earlier today at President Donald Trump’s Cabinet meeting that the US has been negotiating with Iran through diplomatic channels with Pakistan.
When asked if he’s going to ask the other G7 countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said, “it’s in their interest to help.”
When asked if he’s concerned about the reception he might receive amid the war, Rubio said, “I’m not concerned about it.”
“I’m not there to make them happy. I get along with all of them on a personal level and we work with those governments very carefully but the people I’m interested in making happy are the people of the United States,” he added.
Iran's slain naval chief oversaw Hormuz closure and tanker attacks, US and Israel say
The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy, Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, was killed in an Israeli operation, according to the Israeli military and US Central Command on Thursday. Iranian authorities have not commented on the claims of Tangsiri’s death.
Tangsiri, 62, was instrumental in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and orchestrated hundreds of drone strikes on commercial vessels throughout his years in charge, Israeli and American officials said in separate statements.
Tangsiri, born in the Iranian port city of Arvandkenar at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf, was appointed as chief of the IRGC navy in 2018. He previously served as the first regional commander of the IRGC navy, according to the Israeli military.
During his tenure, he led military buildup efforts that included the acquisition of thousands of weapons, particularly missiles and naval mines, according to an Israeli military official. The official also said that Tangsiri’s authority expanded during the war and that “he became the sole approver for most terror activities carried out in the maritime domain in southern Iran.”
He was designated as a terrorist by the US Treasury Department in June 2019 for acting on behalf of the IRGC, and additional sanctions were imposed in 2023 related to the development of Iranian drones. At the time, he was chairman of the board for Paravar Pars, an Iranian-based firm sanctioned by Western allies for manufacturing Shahed drones supplied to Russia.
US Central Command said in a statement that Tangsiri was was responsible for killing “countless innocent civilians” and harassing “thousands of innocent merchant mariners” with attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf.
Iranians say Trump “cannot really be trusted” as his agenda keeps fluctuating
Young women waved Iranian flags and held photos of the slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran on Thursday as US-Israeli bombing entered a fourth week with no end in sight.
The heavy rumble of traffic reverberated through the Iranian capital, in footage published by Reuters. For several residents in Tehran, the realization that their fate may depend on the whims of one man compounded the anxiety, frustration and fears of persistent US-Israeli bombing across the country.
Diplomatic channels between Iran and the US seem to be open — but the status and frequency of talks are unclear. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump belligerently declared that “I don’t care” about reaching a deal with Tehran to end the violence, just hours after the White House claimed the discussions were proceeding apace. Iranian officials have maintained they are in “complete doubt” over Washington’s willingness to engage in ceasefire discussions.
One Iranian woman in Tehran told Reuters, “If they (the Americans) had truly destroyed our forces, then why are they making so many requests for negotiations?
Another resident said Trump’s conflicting remarks were “part of his media game, aimed at creating division between the people.” The man added, “His statements cannot really be trusted,” Reuters reported.
Rubio heads to G7 meeting in France as hopes dim for a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio departs for the G7 ministerial meeting in France today as prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran continue to dim and differences remain between the US and many of its G7 partners over the war.
Rubio heads to the ministerial, which is being held outside of Paris in Vaux-de-Cernay, as President Donald Trump continues to lash out at members of the G7 and NATO for what he says was a failure to support the US war effort.
“They weren’t there. So what makes you think they’d be there if we needed them for something?” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting earlier.
The US has also sought to pressure the G7 to send military assets to open the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the French foreign ministry, G7 partners will discuss potential avenues for negotiations on the war in Iran, “the reopening of maritime and trade routes,” and the “cessation of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.”
Ukraine is also expected to be a key topic of the meeting, and the French ministry said the aim “is to continue to support Kyiv in terms of capabilities and energy and to maintain pressure on Russia.”
The US has temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil, and there are concerns about the impact the Iran war will have on military supplies for Ukraine.
What Trump and top officials said about the Iran war in today’s Cabinet meeting
President Donald Trump and top officials discussed the war with Iran at length during today’s Cabinet meeting.
Trump cast doubt on the prospect of a peace deal with Tehran. The president claimed the onus was on Iran to come to the table and end the fighting. “In the meantime, we’ll just keep blowing them away unimpeded, unstopped,” he said.
He later added that he doesn’t care about reaching a deal with Iran as the US signals it is prepared to continue military operations.
Meanwhile, the president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that the US has been negotiating with Iran through diplomatic channels with Pakistan.
Here’s what else was said about the war:
- Trump urged Iran to permanently abandon its nuclear ambitions, and said that they now have a chance to “chart a new path forward.”
- Trump declined to say whether the US would move to secure uranium in Iran, dismissing the question as “ridiculous.”
- Witkoff said Iranian officials insisted they had a right to enrich uranium during talks held before the war, leading US officials to conclude they were unwilling to abandon their nuclear ambitions.
- Trump criticized German leaders for not supporting the war in Iran and said comments that it was not their war were “inappropriate” given that the US has backed allies in the conflict in Ukraine.
- Trump said he wasn’t sure if he would hold Iran to a Friday deadline he set to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- The president suggested that taking over Iran’s oil supply is “an option.” He said a resolution in Iran could look like Venezuela.
- He downplayed rising gas prices and impacts to the stock market as a result of the war, saying that it “hasn’t been nearly as severe as I thought.”
- Trump indicated he’s not yet ready to push for a suspension of the federal gas tax but that it remains an option as his administration tries to combat surging energy prices.
- He said the mystery “present” he told reporters earlier this week that Iran had given to the US as part of negotiations was 10 “boats of oil” that successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
- Vice President JD Vance argued that the war has been a resounding success, contending that the offensive has opened up new pathways for ensuring the regime cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.
CNN’s Adam Cancryn, Alejandra Jaramillo, Betsy Klein and Christian Sierra contributed to this report.
Philippines has 40-45 days of petroleum supply left, foreign secretary tells CNN
The Philippines became the first country in the world to announce a state of emergency in response to energy shortages triggered by the war in the Middle East.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that the country had 40-45 days’ worth of petroleum supply left and outlined the “cascading effects” of higher energy prices on the economy.
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of national energy emergency on Tuesday, warning that there was an “imminent danger” to the “availability and stability of the country’s energy supply.”
Measures include enforcing energy conservation measures, introducing fuel subsidies and other initiatives to reduce transport costs, taking action against hoarding, profiteering and manipulation of the supply of petroleum products.
Israeli man killed in his car during Hezbollah attack on northern Israel
An Israeli man has been killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack on the northern Israeli city of Nahariya, according to Israel’s national emergency service.
It marks the second Israeli civilian casualty caused by Hezbollah fire since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
A man in his 30s was pronounced dead, according to Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA). He was killed in his car as a result of a direct hit on the vehicle, the country’s fire and rescue authority said.
Another 14 people sustained shrapnel and blast injuries, including a man in his 50s who was left in a serious condition, MDA said.
Three sites are known to have been hit in the rocket barrage fired on the city by Hezbollah Thursday, the fire and rescue authority said. One suffered a hazardous materials incident with damage to gas infrastructure, another saw munitions fall in an open area, and in a third, vehicles caught fire in a parking area, according to the authority.
Images from the aftermath of the attack showed smoke billowing from a site of impact, while other footage showed emergency workers hosing down damaged vehicles.
Throughout the day on Thursday, Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets at northern Israeli communities, the majority of them intercepted by Israel’s air defenses or hitting open land.
Separately, eight people in central Israel sustained injuries from Iranian missiles on Thursday, according to MDA, including six in Kfar Qasim and two in Tel Aviv.
It comes after a 30-year-old woman was killed earlier this week by a Hezbollah rocket fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, according to authorities.
The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah erupted on March 2, two days into the US-Israeli war against Iran, with the Tehran-backed militia firing a barrage of rockets into Israel.
What the US treasury secretary meant when he said the oil market is "well-supplied"
“The oil market is well-supplied,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at a Cabinet meeting a short while ago.
Huh? Aren’t we in the middle of the largest oil supply shock in history?
Yes. And yes. Both things are true.
Bessent is repeating a fact that oil industry analysts have frequently noted during this oil crisis: The world has more than enough oil. It’s just stuck in the wrong place right now.
Oil prices were around $60 a barrel earlier this year for two reasons: Oil-producing nations, including OPEC+ countries, were gradually increasing supply as producers grew antsy about declining oil revenue. And demand for oil has fallen in recent years as the inflation crisis and economic concerns kept some people from spending or traveling.
That’s why contracts for Brent crude, the international benchmark, are currently trading in the $75 range for oil set for delivery in 2027: Once the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, traders expect the market dynamics to reset. The world will once again be more than adequately supplied with oil once it can flow again.
But with the strait closed, two other problems presented themselves: Some facilities in the Middle East have shut down oil production because there’s literally no place to store crude right now. Production doesn’t come back on like a light switch; it can take weeks to restore those facilities to full operation.
Also, Iran and Israel have damaged refineries and natural gas facilities in the region — some beyond repair. It could take years for some of those facilities to come fully online again.
Together, these disruptions have tightened supply, pushing oil prices higher.
Trump indicates Friday deadline for Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz is flexible
President Donald Trump said he wasn’t sure if he would hold Iran to a Friday deadline he set to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“I don’t know yet. I don’t know. Mr. Witkoff and JD and Jared will tell me whether or not they think it’s going along, and if it’s not going along, maybe not,” Trump said, referring to Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, whom he has tasked with negotiations.
The deadline originally expired last Monday, but Trump offered an extension to Friday amid diplomatic discussions. On the eve of the second deadline, Trump indicated there was still plenty of time.
“We have a lot of time, you know what? It’s a day in ‘Trump time.’ A day — you know what it is? That’s an eternity,” he said.
Taking control of Iran's oil supply is "an option," according to Trump
President Donald Trump said today that taking over Iran’s oil supply is “an option.”
“I mean, I wouldn’t talk about it, but it’s an option,” Trump said, when asked by a reporter if that was a possibility. He suggested a resolution in Iran could look like Venezuela, where the US ousted Nicolas Maduro from power and began working with acting president Delcy Rodríguez on oil and other issues.
“Well, in Venezuela, we’ve done very well working with Venezuela. Certainly we’ve taken in billions and billions of dollars. And by the way, Venezuela is doing better right now than they’ve ever done in the history of their country, and sort of like a joint venture, but the United States has made a lot of money,” Trump said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that in the first two months of 2026, Venezuela “generated more revenue from oil sales than they had most of all of last year” and that the “money’s not being stolen anymore.”
Trump later said that the United States did not “need” the Strait of Hormuz and sought to downplay the impact of the war on the US supply.
“We have so much oil. Our country is not affected by this. We have more, we have twice the amount of oil as Saudi Arabia or Russia, and soon it’ll be three times the amount,” Trump said.
"I don't care" about making Iran deal, Trump says
President Donald Trump said he doesn’t care about reaching a deal with Iran, underscoring a hardline stance as the US signals it is prepared to continue military operations.
“I read a story today that I’m desperate to make a deal. I’m not,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. “I’m the opposite of desperate. I don’t care.”
Trump’s comments come as he has said it is up to Iranian leaders to convince him to halt the war, warning the US will press forward if Tehran does not permanently abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Trump reveals Iran's "present": allowing 10 boats of oil through the Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump said today that the mystery “present” he told reporters earlier this week that Iran had given to the US as part of negotiations was 10 “boats of oil” that successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil thoroughfare.
Trump had suggested earlier this week that the goodwill gesture had aided diplomatic efforts to end the war – though he was coy on what, exactly, it was.
“It was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money, and I’m not going to tell you what the present is, but it was a very significant prize,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Today, Trump said the US had engaged in “very substantial talks” with unnamed Iranian officials, and that the oil tankers’ movement through the strait marked proof that negotiators were serious.
“They said, ‘To show you the fact that we’re real and solid and we’re there, we’re going to let you have eight boats of oil, eight boats, eight big boats of oil,’” Trump said, adding that “they were right and they were real” and the boats sailed through the Strait of Hormuz bearing Pakistani flags.
He added that the Iranians also sent two additional boats “to apologize for something they said.”
The episode proved to the US, Trump said, that “we’re dealing with the right people.”
Trump was also asked whether he thought Iran should be able to charge a toll for vessels crossing the strait.
“They shouldn’t be able to, but they’re doing it a little bit,” he said.
Trump calls out Germany on Iran conflict, citing US support for Ukraine
President Donald Trump criticized German leaders for not supporting the war in Iran and said their comments were “inappropriate” given that the US has backed allies in the conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking on Ukraine, Trump said, “I think that’s calming down a little bit. And I think we have a chance of getting it done, but … it doesn’t affect us thousands of miles away.”
“That’s why when I heard the head of Germany say, ‘This is not our war’ about Iran, I said, well, Ukraine’s not our war. We helped, but Ukraine’s not our war. I thought it was a very inappropriate statement to make, but he made it. You can’t erase it. But he felt that way,” Trump said.
It comes after a spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the Iran conflict last week, saying, “This war has nothing to do with NATO. It is not NATO’s war.”
“Participation has not been considered before the war and is not being considered now,” the spokesperson said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also dismissed Trump’s request for assistance. “What does … Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful US Navy cannot do?” he asked. “This is not our war; we have not started it.”
CNN’s Christian Edwards contributed to this report.
Trump signals he's not yet ready to push for federal gas tax suspension
President Donald Trump indicated he’s not yet ready to push for a suspension of the federal gas tax, but that it remains an option as his administration tries to combat surging energy prices.
Trump officials have sought a range of ways to ease oil and gas prices since launching the war in Iran, which prompted Iranian leaders to effectively close access to the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway’s closure has since thrown the global oil markets into crisis and generated a sharp increase in US gas prices.
But Trump indicated he’s not yet ready to seek a suspension of the gas tax, a complicated proposition that would likely require cooperation from Congress or various state governments, arguing that the economy would rebound once the war is over.
“We’re going to take a little bit of a hit, a short-term hit,” Trump said. “It’s going to go up much higher than it was, in my opinion.”
Trump dodges question on securing Iran’s uranium, calls it “ridiculous"
President Donald Trump declined to say whether the United States would move to secure uranium in Iran, dismissing the question as inappropriate amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
“And let’s assume I was or I wasn’t. Why would I ever answer a question?” Trump said when asked whether the US would try to take Iran’s uranium and how it would be secured.
“What kind of a question,” he added. “…‘Oh, yeah, we’re going in tomorrow at 3 o’clock,’” Trump quipped. “How could you possibly ask a question like that, an expected answer?”
“It’s just such a ridiculous question,” he added.
"He’s doing a great job”: Trump defends Hegseth at Cabinet meeting
President Donald Trump praised his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, insisting he’s “doing a great job” amid the war in Iran.
“Pete Hegseth, who’s, who was born for this role. I mean, he’s doing a great job,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday.
Trump had said earlier this week that Hegseth was “quite disappointed” by the prospect of the US negotiating a ceasefire with Iran.
“Pete didn’t want it to be settled,” Trump said on Tuesday, adding that Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine were the “only two people that were quite disappointed.” Trump praised their reluctance, calling it a “good attitude.”
“They were not interested in settlement,” Trump said. “They were interested in just winning this thing.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed frustration over an insufficiency of information from the White House over conflicting statements on war objectives and the length of the conflict.
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