U.S. launches "self-defense strikes" on Iran, says warships came under fire in Strait of Hormuz

An Israeli strike on south Lebanon killed a member of Lebanon's civil defense, the rescue organization said Friday, a day after another strike killed a rescuer from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee.

In a statement, the civil defense said its rescuer was killed "as a result of an Israeli strike that targeted him" on the road between two southern towns, despite the truce that's in effect.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday it had "verified 152 attacks on healthcare that resulted in 103 deaths and 241 injuries" in Lebanon since the war began on March 2.

Iraq's oil ministry has denied U.S. accusations against its deputy minister, who the United States hit with sanctions over his alleged support to Iran as Washington escalates pressure on Baghdad to break with Iranian-linked groups.

The State Department announced sanctions Thursday on Ali Maarij al-Bahadli, saying he "abused his government position to divert Iraqi oil in support of the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies."

It accused him of fraudulently mixing Iraqi and Iranian oil as part of a scheme to help Iran avoid sanctions.

His ministry said late Thursday that it "denies the accusations" against Bahadli and stressed "the importance of transparency in addressing all ... accusations on the basis of evidence and facts," according to the INA state news agency.

The ministry said it was prepared to investigate the matter, but added that "crude oil export operations, marketing, loading onto tankers, and related procedures" weren't part of Bahadli's job.

After entities run by an Iraqi businessman were sanctioned over the same accusations last year, Iraq's state oil marketing company SOMO denied that any oil mixing operations were taking place in the country's ports or territorial waters to help Iran.

The U.S. has unilateral sanctions against Iranian oil, seeking to punish any country or company that buys it.

Iran, led by Shia clerics, has had close relations with many key players in Shia-majority Iraq since the 2003 U.S. invasion toppled Saddam Hussein.

Washington, which holds major sway in Iraq, has been escalating pressure on the Iraqi government to disarm Tehran-backed armed groups, which the U.S. designates as terrorist organizations.

Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, those groups hit U.S. facilities in Iraq more than 600 times before a ceasefire was announced, according to a US official. 

Oil prices, which fell around 10% over the past three days, rose more than 1% early Friday as U.S.-Iran clashes in the Strait of Hormuz jolted hopes that the conflict will end soon.

The benchmark US oil contract West Texas Intermediate climbed 1.2% to $95.93 per barrel. International oil benchmark Brent North Sea crude rose 1.5% to $101.56.

The United Arab Emirates reported early Friday morning local time that its air defense systems had been activated to respond to drones and missiles launched by Iran.

The UAE's defense ministry said in a social media post that "sounds heard in various parts of the country are the result of the UAE air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones."

The UAE's National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority cautioned residents to "remain in a safe place and follow the warnings and updates on official websites."

President Trump told reporters late Thursday that a deal with Iran "might not happen, but it could happen any day."

"I believe they want the deal more than I do," he said during a visit to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where his administration is installing blue filament as part of a renovation project.

Mr. Trump also addressed Iran's attacks on three U.S. Navy destroyers, which drew an American counterattack.

"They trifled with us today. We blew them away," he said. "They should not have done that today."

Mr. Trump reiterated that the ceasefire is not over, in spite of Tuesday's exchange. 

"If there's no ceasefire, you're not going to have to know. You're just going to have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran," he said.

President Trump confirmed that three American destroyers passed through the Strait of Hormuz after dodging an Iranian onslaught — and warned Iran that it needs to strike a deal with the U.S. quickly.

Mr. Trump said in a social media post that the U.S. vessels were unharmed while Iran faced "great damage," describing the military's efforts to deflect Iranian boats, missiles and drones in vivid terms.

"They dropped ever so beautifully down to the Ocean, very much like a butterfly dropping to its grave!" he said of the U.S.'s response to the drone attacks.

"A normal Country would have allowed these Destroyers to pass, but Iran is not a normal Country. They are led by LUNATICS, and if they had the chance to use a Nuclear Weapon, they would do it, without question," the president wrote.

He also warned that "we'll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don't get their Deal signed, FAST!" Mr. Trump is seeking a longer-term peace deal with Iran, but the status of talks is unclear.

President Trump told ABC News the U.S.-Iran ceasefire remains in effect despite American strikes on two Iranian ports, describing the strikes as "just a love tap."

Mr. Trump spoke on the phone with ABC News senior political correspondent Rachel Scott.

When she asked if it means the ceasefire is over, she says he replied, "No, no, the ceasefire is going. It's in effect."

The U.S. carried out strikes Thursday on two Iranian ports abutting the Strait of Hormuz, multiple U.S. officials told CBS News.

The U.S. military targeted Bandar Abbas and Qeshm, the officials said.

Fox News was first to report on the strikes on Iranian ports.

Three U.S. Navy destroyers that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz also came under attack Thursday from Iranian drones, missiles and small boats, CBS News was first to report. U.S. Central Command said in a statement it responded with "self-defense strikes" on Iranian targets.

American forces "responded with self-defense strikes" on Iranian targets after three Navy destroyers came under missile and drone fire, but were not struck, U.S. Central Command said.

The destroyers USS Truxtun, USS Mason and USS Rafael Peralta were attacked by missiles, drones and small boats, CENTCOM said. The U.S. military responded by targeting Iranian facilities, including drone and missile launch sites.

Three U.S. Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz came under renewed attack on Thursday, enduring what American officials described as a fiercer and more sustained Iranian assault than the barrage the warships faced only days earlier. 

The destroyers came under an intense Iranian assault as swarms of Iranian fast-attack boats maneuvered close enough that American warships opened fire to keep them at bay, the U.S. officials told CBS News under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. 

Iranian forces also launched drones and missiles during the confrontation, the officials said. 

Over several hours, the American warships and supporting aircraft mounted a layered defense. 

Despite the intensity of the attacks, neither U.S. vessel was struck. 

Read more here.

Iranian state TV reported explosions on an island in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, saying they occurred during an "exchange of fire."

"The explosions at the Bahman pier on Qeshm Island occurred during an exchange of fire between Iranian armed forces and the enemy," the broadcaster IRIB reported.

Other Iranian news outlets also reported the blasts.

The CEO of Danish shipping group Maersk told BBC News that disruptions from the war have nearly doubled its fuel bill — costs that will have to be passed on to customers.

"The secondary effect from this is actually whether these increased costs are eventually going to lead to inflation and demand destruction as a result, which could create a softened market environment in the second part of the year," Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc told the BBC.

A Maersk ship was one of the two vessels U.S. forces helped guide out of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday under Project Freedom, an operation to secure the strait that's now paused.

A Virginia Republican who's the vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said the Pentagon still hasn't provided a hard figure for the cost of the war.

"They're still working on that figure, and we've heard a whole range of dollar amounts," Congressman Rob Wittman told reporters Thursday. "So I hesitate to put any dollar amount out there, but we are looking for the dollar amount and the specific categorization about what's been utilized."

Last week, U.S. officials familiar with internal assessments told CBS News that the price tag for the war at that point was closer to $50 billion than the $25 billion estimate that was provided during a congressional hearing.

President Trump has said "infighting and confusion" within Iran's ruling regime is partly why it's been so difficult to strike a deal to end the war.

Analysts tell CBS News, however, that while power structures are shifting, there's little evidence of divisions hampering Iran's leadership, and Mr. Trump's rhetoric may be more an effort to find a scapegoat as the White House grapples to present its own policy objectives.

Read more here.

The U.S. on Thursday urged Iran to free jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi after her supporters warned she was at risk of dying in custody.

Mohammadi, a 54-year-old human rights activist who has spent much of the past two decades behind bars, is believed to have had two heart attacks in recent weeks, according to her supporters.

"She is now in critical condition and receiving wholly inadequate care," Riley Barnes, the U.S. assistant secretary of state in charge of human rights, wrote on social media. "We call on the Iranian regime to release her now and give her the care she needs. The world is watching."

Mohammadi was arrested again in December after denouncing the Islamic Republic at a funeral for a lawyer.

CBS/AFP

Around 1,500 ships and their crews are trapped in the Persian Gulf due to the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the secretary-general of the U.N. International Maritime Organization said in Panama on Thursday.

"Right now, we have approximately 20,000 crewmen and around 1,500 ships trapped," Arsenio Dominguez told the Maritime Convention of the Americas.

The stranded crew members "are innocent people who are doing their jobs every day for the benefit of other countries," but "are trapped by geopolitical situations outside their control," Dominguez told the gathering of industry executives and representatives of the maritime organization.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pope Leo XIV met Thursday at the Vatican to discuss the situation in the Middle East and other matters, a meeting that came after weeks of tension between the American-born pontiff and President Trump.

"The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.

Read more here.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions on an Iraqi oil official, several Iraqi firms and leaders of Iran-backed militias accused of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions and finance militants.

The Treasury Department alleges that Iraq's deputy oil minister, Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly, helped divert Iraqi oil and falsify documents so Iranian oil could be sold as Iraqi oil, benefiting Iran and allied militias. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control also said it is designating three senior leaders of Iran-aligned terrorist militias Kata'ib Sayyid Al-Shuhada and Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haq to effectively cut their access to financial institutions.

"Like a rogue gang, the Iranian regime is pillaging resources that rightfully belong to the Iraqi people," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. "Treasury will not stand idly by as Iran's military exploits Iraqi oil to fund terrorism against the United States and our partners."

CBS/AP

A day after an Israeli airstrike killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon's capital, Israel's military said it was canceling some events in northern Israel, close to the Lebanese border, due to the threat of Hezbollah attacks.

"Following the IDF strike in Beirut yesterday (Wednesday), the IDF continues to conduct ongoing situational assessments in the northern sector. Accordingly, events that had previously been exempted from the Home Front Command's defensive guidelines in the northern border area have been canceled due to the possibility of enemy fire by the Hezbollah terrorist organization toward the area," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

It said there was no formal change to security guidelines issued by the IDF's Home Front Command, which vary for different regions. Those broad restrictions on daily life were eased after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire came into effect in early April, and the IDF said if any further changes were deemed necessary, it would "update the public and the relevant authorities in an orderly manner."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in video taped remarks to business leaders shared by his office on Thursday, admitted the country was facing domestic difficulties, which he attributed to coordinated external efforts to destabilize the country.

"The reality is that all countries in the world face protests due to inflation, high prices, and economic pressures," Pezeshkian said. "We are in a war situation, and we have been attacked heavily, so it is natural that we face some difficulties."

"We must control excess consumption. We must ensure that electricity and gas for production are not cut off. Instead, we should reduce unnecessary consumption. If we use energy properly, we can supply industries without disruption," the president said, urging the business leaders to "manage your own affairs," but ask for government help where it is needed.

"And where we cannot, we will be honest with you. We want to help you, and you should also help us continue on this path," he said, acknowledging that the regime has "shortcomings" given economic pressure caused by the war.

Asked by CBS News on Thursday about concerns within the administration over soaring jet fuel prices and consequentially rising airfares, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said President Trump and his energy team "anticipated these short-term disruptions to the global energy markets from Operation Epic Fury and had a plan prepared to mitigate these disruptions."

In her statement, Rogers said the plans included temporarily waiving the Jones Act "to let energy flow more freely to U.S. ports," adding that Trump administration officials were continuing to "work closely with the private sector and industry to address their concerns, explore potential actions, and inform the President's policy decisions."

"As President Trump continues to exert maximum leverage over Iran with the ongoing successful blockade to bring this conflict to an end, we will see global energy markets stabilize and gas prices plummet back to the multi-year lows Americans enjoyed prior to the start of Operation Epic Fury," Rogers said.

A White House official said waiving the Jones Act, which restricts shipping traffic between U.S. ports to only U.S.-made and operated vessels, had enabled around 9 million barrels of American oil to reach domestic destinations in multiple states and prevented U.S. businesses from having to rely on imports.

The statement came after a report by the Wall Street Journal said advisers close to Mr. Trump were voicing concern about high fuel prices as a result of the war. The Journal said Chris Sununu, who leads the Airlines for America trade association, had warned Treasury Secretary Bessent that airfares would continue to spike if the war didn't end soon. 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says he met recently with the country's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei for nearly two and a half hours, according to a report Thursday by the country's semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Pezeshkian described the atmosphere of his meeting with Khamenei as "completely direct, candid, and filled with a sense of closeness and trust."

Khamenei has not been seen or heard from directly since he was named as his father's replacement, and U.S. officials say he was severely wounded, possibly incapacitated, in the same U.S. or Israeli airstrike that killed his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28, the first day of the war.

Since the younger Khamenei was named the new supreme leader, only written statements attributed to him have been released by the regime.

Iran's IRIB state television network joined in efforts Thursday to portray the Islamic Republic as the sole controller of shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. 

A reporter broadcasting from a location said to be near Iran's Qeshm Island told viewers: "Behind me, you can see the open waters, empty of vessels," and adding: "All vessels are waiting for Iran's permission and the approval of the IRGC Navy to pass through the Strait of Hormuz."

The IRIB reporter said Iranian authorities were monitoring vessels as they wait to move through shipping lanes designated by Iranian military authorities, which pass very near islands the regime is said to be using to impose tolls for passage.

The reporter said that after President Trump "backed down from implementing his plan related to passage through the Strait of Hormuz," referring to the Project Freedom initiative that Mr. Trump called off Tuesday night after one day, it became clear to Iranian authorities that maritime transit should be governed and enforced by Iran's navy. 

Global shipping intelligence firm Lloyd's List said in a briefing earlier Thursday that Iran had launched "a new Persian Gulf Strait Authority to approve ship transits and collect tolls in the Strait of Hormuz." 

In its briefing, Lloyd's said "as of right now the strait is closed," with no transits recorded since May 4.

"No terrorist has immunity," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Thursday, a day after an Israeli strike killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon's capital Beirut.

Netanyahu said the strike "in the heart of Beirut" killed Ahmed Ghaleb Balout, who was the commander of Iranian-backed Hezbollah's Radwan Force, warning that "anyone who threatens the State of Israel will pay the price."

Netanyahu said with the killing of Balout, whom he said had led a plan by Hezbollah "to conquer the north" of Israel "we have eliminated more than 200 Hezbollah terrorists who acted against Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers."

The Israeli and Lebanese governments signed a ceasefire, brokered by the Trump administration, weeks ago. The truce remains ostensibly in effect, but it has not stopped Hezbollah and Israel from attacking each other, or Israel from ordering the evacuation of dozens of towns and villages in a section of southern Lebanon it has occupied.

The conflict erupted in tandem with the joint U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, as Hezbollah joined its backers in Tehran in attacking Israel with rockets and drones not long after the Iran war began 69 days ago. 

The ongoing violence in Lebanon has proven to be a sticking point in diplomatic efforts to nail down a wider peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran, as Tehran has thus far insisted on a stop to fighting on both fronts as part of any deal.

Hezbollah and Israel have accused each other of breaching the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon almost daily since it took effect.

At least 11 other people were killed Wednesday in Israeli strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, according to the country's health ministry.  

Saudi Arabia's state-owned and operated Al-Hadath television channel reported Thursday that "intensive negotiations" were underway to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

"Agreements have reportedly been reached regarding easing the blockade in exchange for a gradual reopening of the Strait," the channel said, without naming any sources or specific reports.

"A breakthrough regarding the ships stranded in the Strait is expected in the coming hours," the outlet predicted. 

Saudi Arabia is one of about half of a dozen countries that rely heavily on shipping traffic through the strait to export their oil and gas from Persian Gulf ports. The kingdom was also among those targeted during the war by Iranian missiles and drones, as Tehran attacked Gulf states accused of cooperating with the U.S.-Israeli war effort.

"We expect an agreement sooner rather than later," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Thursday, echoing optimism voiced by President Trump on Wednesday. 

A fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has largely held since April 8, but in-person talks between the two countries hosted by Pakistan last month failed to bring a wider agreement to end the war that started on Feb. 28 with a blistering wave of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

"We hope the parties will reach a peaceful and sustainable solution that will contribute not only to peace in our region but to international peace as well," Andrabi said.

He declined to give a timeline, however.

"What I can tell you, and this is what I have stated before, that we remain positive, we remain optimistic, and we hope the settlement will be soon rather than later," he said.

Asked whether Pakistan expected any response from Iran to the latest U.S. proposal by the end of the day, Andrabi said he would "not comment on specifics or the movement of the messages."

CBS/AP

Oil sank again Thursday and Tokyo's Nikkei index led another strong rally across Asia stocks, fuelled by growing optimism the Iran war is close to ending and the revival of demand for all things AI.

Risk sentiment was surging on hopes Washington and Tehran will conclude the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the start of March, choking off a fifth of the world's crude.

Optimism got a huge boost Wednesday when President Trump said an agreement was near, a day after he paused efforts to help stranded ships through Hormuz, which drew Iranian attacks and threatened their fragile ceasefire.

If "Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to" the war would be over, Mr. Trump said. But if not, the bombing will resume "at a much higher level and intensity."

He later told reporters: "We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it's very possible that we'll make a deal."

Iran has yet to respond to the latest U.S. proposal, with foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei telling local media it was "still under review."

Oil prices tumbled more than 2% on Thursday, having fallen around 10% over the previous two days, with international benchmark Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate in the U.S. both below $100. 

CBS/AFP

While the Iranian regime says it is considering the latest proposal from the U.S. to end the war that's gridlocked the vital shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz for 69 days, it has also attempted to formalize its control over the waterway.

The Lloyd's List shipping analyst and intelligence firm said in a report Thursday that Iran "has created a new Persian Gulf Strait Authority to approve ship transits and collect tolls in the Strait of Hormuz." 

Lloyd's said Iranian authorities had sent an example of the application form ship operators will be required to submit to gain permission to transit the strait, which it said requires detailed records of vessel "ownership, insurance, crew details and intended transit route." 

The firm said Iran, with the PGSA, had "positioned itself as the only valid authority to grant permission to ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz."

In its Thursday briefing, Lloyd's said "as of right now the strait is closed," with no transits recorded since May 4.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke Wednesday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and told him attacks on Emirati civilian infrastructure and ships near the Strait of Hormuz were "unjustified."

"I expressed my deep concern about the ongoing escalation and condemned the unjustified strikes against Emirati civilian infrastructure and several ships," Macron said on X following the call.

Macron also said he had called on both the U.S. and Iran to immediately lift their respective restrictions on shipping in the strait without any conditions.

Speaking about the France and U.K.-led initiative to help ensure safe passage for commercial vessels through the strait once the war is over, Macron said "recent events clearly demonstrate the usefulness that such a mission would have." 

He said he would speak with President Trump about the mission.

"We are pleased that France's approach is based on resolving issues through dialogue," Pezeshkian told Macron, according to Iran's presidency, adding that "any negotiation regarding the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz requires the lifting of the naval blockade imposed by the United States."

CBS/AFP

As reporters began to leave the Oval Office Wednesday, one asked the president about a deadline for negotiations with Iran. 

"Never a deadline," the president responded. "It'll happen. It'll happen. But never a deadline." 

The president in the past has tried to impose a deadline for negotiations. He ended up extending that deadline and ceasefire for negotiations to continue.

Earlier Wednesday, the president told the New York Post it's too soon to send senior U.S. officials to Iran for another in-person talks.

Gasoline prices across the U.S. surged to an average of $4.54 a gallon on Wednesday, the highest since July 2022, according to AAA data.

The price of regular gas has jumped 52%, or $1.56 per gallon, since the start of the Iran war in late February, as disruptions to oil flows in the Middle East drive up costs for motorists. The cost is approaching the highest-ever gas price, when it reached $5.02 a gallon in June 2022 during a pandemic-era spike in inflation.

Fuel costs climbed even as oil prices edged lower Wednesday on renewed hopes for a U.S.-Iran agreement, highlighting a disconnect between crude markets and what drivers pay at the pump.

Read more here.

The U.S. has had "very good talks over the past 24 hours" aimed at reaching a peace deal with Iran, President Trump told reporters during an event with UFC fighters at the White House on Wednesday.

It wasn't clear if the president meant the U.S. and Iran were talking directly or via Pakistani mediators.

"They want to make a deal," Mr. Trump said. "We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours. And it's very possible that we'll make a deal." 

He acknowledged that there had been "some good talks before, as you know, and all of the sudden, the next day like, they're like, they forgot what happened."

Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Trump said the war with Iran was going "unbelievably well."

After an event to honor military mothers at the White House, he also favorably compared the operation in Iran to the one in January that saw former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro captured in his own capital city.

"We're in a — I call it a skirmish, because that's what it is, a skirmish, and we're doing unbelievably well, as we did in Venezuela, where it was rapid, over in one day and we're doing pretty much equally as well I would say, larger, but we're doing very well in Iran."

"It'll be over quickly," Mr. Trump predicted later Wednesday of the Iran war during an event to support Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Burt Jones.