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Iran-backed Houthis enter war with missile strike against Israel
The conflict is expanding after the rebel movement launched ballistic missiles for the first time since the start of the war.
Updated 1:02 PM EDT, Sat March 28, 2026
Experts gloomy on economy as Iran war drags into fourth week
01:45
Here's the latest
• Houthis enter war: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they carried out their “first military operation” in support of Iran, after Israel’s military earlier said it detected a missile from Yemen.
• US service members arrive: Meanwhile, US Central Command said the USS Tripoli, carrying 3,500 US sailors and Marines, has arrived in the Middle East, as the Pentagon weighs its next steps.
• Latest strikes: Israel attacked Iranian nuclear sites and industrial plants, and buildings at a university in Tehran were damaged in an overnight strike, geolocated videos show. In the Gulf, at least 10 US service members were injured in an Iranian attack on an air base in Saudi Arabia, a US official told CNN.
• Death toll climbs: Three people, including a Lebanese journalist working for a Hezbollah-owned network, have been killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon. Thousands have been reported killed across the Middle East since the start of the war one month ago.
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26 min ago
Home of Iraqi Kurdistan's president targeted in attack, Iraqi prime minister's office says
By Catherine Nicholls and Nechirvan Mando
The residence of the president of Iraqi Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, was targeted in an attack today, according to the media office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani.
The attack will be investigated jointly by the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the media office said.
Al-Sudani “affirmed the government’s commitment to preventing any outlaw actors, whether regional or international, from dragging Iraq into the ongoing conflict in the region,” the office said.
Some context: Iraq’s government has repeatedly insisted that it does not want to be a part of the current conflict in the Middle East. This has not stopped nearly 100 people from being killed in the country as a result of it.
Many soldiers from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a paramilitary umbrella group that includes several Iranian-backed factions, have been killed in attacks on the country.
US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins told CNN last week that the US military was acting to defend itself “from attacks by Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups.”
Several pro-Iranian militia groups operating within Iraq have claimed responsibility for attacks on US targets in the country, including the US Embassy in Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurdish city of Erbil, where Kurdish forces and international coalition troops are hosted.
At least six Kurdish Peshmerga fighters were killed in an Iranian missile attack on a base north of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, local officials said Tuesday, in the first direct Iranian attack on Peshmerga forces in Iraq.
CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq and Christian Edwards contributed to this reporting.
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46 min ago
Houthi rebels fire second missile at Israel, Israeli security source tells CNN
By Dana Karni
Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a second missile towards Israel, hours after the first which saw them enter the Iran war, an Israeli security source told CNN Saturday.
The Iran-backed rebel movement fired a cruise missile at Israel, according to the source.
Both missiles were intercepted and no injuries or damage was caused, according to the security official.
Announcing the initial attack, the Houthis said they had lauched a “barrage of ballistic missiles targeting sensitive Israeli military sites” in what could prove a fresh headache for energy markets.
1 hr 3 min ago
What Houthi involvement in the war could mean for global shipping
By CNN staff
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced their entry into the Iran war after launching ballistic missiles toward Israel Saturday.
CNN’s Jim Sciutto explains what this could mean for key shipping routes in the region:
Houthis enter Iran war
00:41
Remember: In late 2023, Iran-backed Houthi militants began attacking vessels in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas. The security situation forced shipping companies to redirect their vessels around the southern tip of Africa, adding weeks onto journeys and forcing them to spend more on fuel, insurance and seafarers’ wages.
CNN’s Anna Cooban contributed to this report.
31 min ago
Major aluminum producer hit by Iranian strikes on Abu Dhabi
By Mostafa Salem and Eyad Kourdi
A major global aluminum company has reported that its smelter site suffered “significant damage” from Iranian missile and drone attacks on Abu Dhabi.
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the Middle East’s largest aluminum producer and the second-largest supplier to global markets, said a number of its employees were injured after the attack on the company’s Al Taweelah site.
“The safety and security of our people is our top priority at EGA at all times,” said Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of the company. “We are deeply saddened and are assessing the damage to our facilities.”
EGA is responsible for about 4% of the world’s total aluminum production and nearly half of the aluminum produced in the Gulf region.
1 hr 30 min ago
A month since the start of the war with Iran, thousands of people have been reported killed
By Catherine Nicholls
Medics in Lebanon risk their lives to help the wounded after Israeli strikes
02:30
It has now been exactly a month since the US and Israel launched the war with Iran, sparking a conflict that has engulfed the Middle East. It has killed thousands, according to a CNN tally of death tolls released by regional authorities.
Here’s what those authorities have said about the number of people reportedly killed in the Middle East since the war began on February 28. CNN is not able to independently verify these numbers.
Iran: At least 1,900 people have been killed in attacks on Iran since February 28, the Iranian Red Crescent reported yesterday. On March 16, Iran’s foreign minister said “hundreds of Iranian civilians,” including more than 200 children, had been killed since the conflict began.
Lebanon: At least 1,189 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in the country since March 2, Lebanon’s health ministry said in an update today. At least 124 children are among those killed, it said.
Iraq: At least 96 people have been killed across Iraq since the war began, authorities have said. In the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, at least 13 people have been killed, according to the regional government.
Israel: Some 19 civilians have been killed inside Israel since the conflict began, not including those who died indirectly because of strikes. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed in South Lebanon, according to the Israeli military.
USA: Thirteen US service members have been killed since the US war with Iran began a month ago, according to the US Central Command.
Dozens of people have also been killed in other countries in the region since the conflict began. Deaths because of the conflict have been reported in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, the occupied West Bank, Oman, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia since February 28, according to local authorities.
CNN’s Issy Ronald, Charbel Mallo, Aqeel Najim, Nechirvan Mando, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Dana Karni, Eugenia Yosef, Oren Liebermann, Tal Shalev, Tamar Michaelis, and Zachary Cohen contributed to this reporting.
This post has been updated with additional information.
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1 hr 35 min ago
Tehran university campus hit overnight, geolocated videos show
By Farida Elsebai
US-Israeli strikes hit Tehran university campus in early hours of Saturday
00:46
CNN has geolocated several videos which show damaged buildings at an engineering university in Tehran after it was struck overnight.
One video filmed before sunrise on Saturday shows a research center at the Iran University of Science and Technology in ruins. The building appears to have been demolished with twisted metal, bricks and other debris littering the site. Nearby, another building is on fire.
Another verified video posted to social media later shows plumes of smoke rising from the rubble. The windows of an adjacent building also appear to have been damaged in the attack.
The university said US-Israeli strikes had damaged the building but there were no casualties. It condemned the attack, saying strikes on academic institutions were a violation of international law.
The university, located east of Tehran, was founded in 1929 as Iran’s first institution dedicated to training engineers.
CNN has reached out to the US and Israel for comment.
Separately in Israel on Thursday, the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology’s campus in Haifa was hit by falling shrapnel from an Iranian missile, it said. In a letter sent to students, the academic institution said there had been some minor damage to buildings but no injuries.
CNN’s Dana Karni contributed to this post.
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1 hr 49 min ago
3,500 US sailors and Marines arrive in the Middle East
Kaanita Iyer
By Kaanita Iyer
The USS Tripoli, carrying 3,500 US sailors and Marines, has arrived in the Middle East, US Central Command announced in a post on X today, as the Pentagon weighs next steps in the war with Iran.
“U.S. Sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli (LHA 7) arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, March 27,” CENTCOM said.
CNN reported earlier this month that the Pentagon would be deploying a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region.
Such units have traditionally been used for missions like large-scale evacuations and amphibious operations that require ship-to-shore movements, including raids and assaults. They also have a ground and aviation combat component and some units are trained for special operations.
One source familiar with the deployment previously told CNN that the MEU’s presence gives commanders additional options for a range of contingencies.
CNN’s Natasha Bertrand contributed to this post.
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1 hr 57 min ago
11 injured by falling debris from missile interception in Israel
By Dana Karni and Issy Ronald
Several buildings were damaged in the strike.
Several buildings were damaged in the strike. Israel Fire and Rescue Services
Falling debris from a missile interception injured 11 people and damaged several buildings in Eshtaol, central Israel earlier today, according to the country’s national emergency service, Magen David Adom (MDA).
Those injuries, which are all minor, were caused by glass shrapnel, MDA said.
The incident took place in central Israel.
The incident took place in central Israel. Israel Fire and Rescue Services
Two damaged cars pictured.
Two damaged cars pictured. Israel Fire and Rescue Services
Images and footage from the scene show bombed-out buildings, mangled trees and crater sites where debris from the Iranian missile landed. The total damage radius was approximately 150 meters centered around two craters about 10 meters apart, MDA said.
“This is a large-scale scene with damage to several buildings. Firefighters are conducting thorough searches to rule out the presence of trapped individuals and addressing secondary hazards, in order to ensure the safety of residents,” said Zecharia Rafael, a chief fire officer at MDA leading the response to the incident.
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20 min ago
Israel strikes Iranian nuclear sites as journalists are killed in Lebanon
By Catherine Nicholls
Hassan Badran, a local, stands next to a building destroyed by an Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Saksakiyeh, southern Lebanon on Saturday.
Hassan Badran, a local, stands next to a building destroyed by an Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Saksakiyeh, southern Lebanon on Saturday. Yara Nardi/Reuters
Today marks a month since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, and we’ve been bringing you updates from the region as the conflict persists.
As we reported earlier, the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group launched missiles from Yemen toward Israel for the first time since the war began.
Elsewhere:
Israel launched a large-scale attack against Iranian nuclear sites and industrial plants yesterday, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said, reporting no radiation risks.
Three journalists were killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon, with the Lebanese presidency calling the attack a “blatant crime.” Israel military accused one of the reporters of being “a terrorist” operating under the “guise of a journalist.”
Iran’s president thanked Pakistan for its efforts to stop the war as it acts as an intermediary in talks between Tehran and Washington.
Ukraine signed a new defense agreement with Qatar today, as Gulf nations seek to harness Kyiv’s expertise in drone warfare.
CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Charbel Mallo, Dana Karni, Sophie Tanno and Issy Ronald contributed to this reporting.
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2 hr 16 min ago
Satellite image shows smoke rising from Saudi Arabian air base
By CNN staff
A satellite image shows smoke rising from a fire on the tarmac at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
A satellite image shows smoke rising from a fire on the tarmac at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Landsat-9 image courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey
Satellite imagery shows smoke rising from Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base, as a US official said at least 10 US service members were wounded in an Iranian attack on the facility.
No service members were killed but at least two had shrapnel wounds considered not life threatening, and several other service members were “impacted,” another US official said.
A refueler tanker aircraft was also damaged, according to the first source.
CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky contributed reporting to this post.
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1 hr 20 min ago
Israel kills Hezbollah-affiliated reporter, two other journalists, in a strike Lebanon calls a "blatant crime"
By Charbel Mallo and Dana Karni
Hezbollah-owned Al Manar television correspondent Ali Shuaib, who was killed along with other journalists in an Israeli strike in Jezzine on Saturday, is pictured here in Marjayoun, Lebanon, on November 22, 2024.
Hezbollah-owned Al Manar television correspondent Ali Shuaib, who was killed along with other journalists in an Israeli strike in Jezzine on Saturday, is pictured here in Marjayoun, Lebanon, on November 22, 2024. Hussein Malla/AP/File
A Lebanese reporter working for a Hezbollah-owned network was among three journalists killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon.
Hezbollah-owned Al Manar television said its journalist Ali Shuaib was killed in an Israeli strike targeting the vehicle he was in.
The Israeli military accused Shuaib of being “a terrorist” operating under the “guise of a journalist” who was exposing locations of Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.
Al-Manar called Shuaib an “icon of resistance media” in its report announcing his death.
Al Mayadeen journalist Jamal Al-Gharabi holds the press vest of one of the journalists who were killed by a targeted Israeli strike, in Jezzine, in southern Lebanon, on Saturday. The sign on the vest reads "Press".
Al Mayadeen journalist Jamal Al-Gharabi holds the press vest of one of the journalists who were killed by a targeted Israeli strike, in Jezzine, in southern Lebanon, on Saturday. The sign on the vest reads "Press". Ali Hankir/Reuters
A burned press helmet rests on the charred car that was carrying Hezbollah-owned Al Manar television correspondent Ali Shuaib, Beirut's based Al-Mayadeen TV reporter Fatima Ftouni and her brother, video journalist Mohammed Ftouni, before they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, in the town of Jezzine, south Lebanon, on Saturday.
A burned press helmet rests on the charred car that was carrying Hezbollah-owned Al Manar television correspondent Ali Shuaib, Beirut's based Al-Mayadeen TV reporter Fatima Ftouni and her brother, video journalist Mohammed Ftouni, before they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, in the town of Jezzine, south Lebanon, on Saturday. Mohammed Zaatari/AP
The destroyed gear of the journalists who were killed by a targeted Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, is seen in Jezzine, in southern Lebanon, on Saturday.
The destroyed gear of the journalists who were killed by a targeted Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, is seen in Jezzine, in southern Lebanon, on Saturday. Ali Hankir/Reuters
Two other journalists, Fatma and Mohamed Ftouni were also killed in the Israeli strike, the pro-Iran and Hezbollah Al Mayadeen channel said, with the Lebanese presidency calling the attack a “blatant crime.”
“Once again, the Israeli aggression is violating the most basic rules of international laws and international humanitarian law and the laws of war, by targeting press reporters, who are ultimately civilians performing a professional duty,” the presidency posted on X.
The Israeli statement did not mention the other two journalists killed.
Israel is carrying out an escalating offensive against the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group in southern Lebanon. The accusation against Shuaib echoes allegations Israel has made against Palestinian journalists killed working in Gaza.
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1 hr 38 min ago
Ukraine signs defense agreement with Qatar
By Issy Ronald
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers a statement during the Munich Security Conference at the Residenz, the former Bavarian royal palace, in Munich on February 14.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers a statement during the Munich Security Conference at the Residenz, the former Bavarian royal palace, in Munich on February 14. Liesa Johannssen/Reuters/File
Ukraine has signed a new defense agreement with Qatar today, mirroring the one it signed with Saudi Arabia yesterday as Gulf nations seek to harness Kyiv’s expertise in drone warfare.
The agreement includes “collaboration in technological fields, development of joint projects, defense investments, and the exchange of expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial systems,” a statement from Qatar’s foreign ministry said.
Posting on X earlier after a meeting with Qatar, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky added: “We discussed issues that could further strengthen the protection of life in both countries and agreed on a mutually beneficial partnership in the defense sector for at least 10 years.
Zelensky has also visited Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates the past few days, sharing his country’s knowledge of intercepting swarms of Iranian-designed, Russian-made Shahed drones, honed over four years of war with Russia.
Such drones, which have long targeted Ukraine, are now being deployed by Iran to attack its Gulf neighbors.
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3 hr 51 min ago
US aircraft carrier arrives in Croatian port after repairs
Kaanita Iyer
By Kaanita Iyer
Harbor tugboats and other civilian vessels approach the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford at an anchor point off the Croatian coastal city of Split on Saturday.
Harbor tugboats and other civilian vessels approach the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford at an anchor point off the Croatian coastal city of Split on Saturday. Elvis Barukcic/AFP/Getty Images
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has anchored in Port of Split, Croatia, the US Navy announced today.
Before its arrival in Split, the Ford was undergoing repairs in the US Navy’s base in Crete, Greece, after a fire broke out in the ship’s laundry area on March 12. The fire was not combat-related, the US military said at the time. The aircraft carrier had been participating in US operations against Iran before the fire.
The Ford, which is the US Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, was sent to the Middle East in February to apply more pressure on Iran. It was previously deployed to the Caribbean as part of the US military’s buildup in the region amid heightened tensions with Venezuela.
CNN’s Haley Britzky contributed to this post.
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4 hr 9 min ago
MAGA split over Iran war — CNN reports from CPAC
By CNN staff
The Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, is in full swing in Texas.
Inside however, reactions to the Iran war are mixed. CNN Senior Correspondent Donie O’Sullivan reports below.
MAGA's mixed reaction to Iran war at CPAC
03:47
4 hr 24 min ago
Iran's president thanks Pakistan's PM as talks continue
Sophie Tanno
By Mostafa Salem and Sophie Tanno
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, on February 21.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, on February 21. Iran's Presidential website/WANA/Reuters
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has thanked Pakistan for its efforts to stop the war as the country continues to act as an intermediary in talks between Tehran and Washington.
According to a statement from his office, Pezeshkian in an earlier phone call with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered his thanks for “the support and solidarity of the Muslim people of Pakistan with Iran.”
Talks to end the US-Israeli war are ongoing, with Pakistan acting as an intermediary to relay messages between the warring sides. A senior Pakistani source told CNN earlier Saturday that Sharif had held a one-hour phone call with Pezeshkian.
Pezeshkian also offered his appreciation for “the commendable efforts of some friendly and neighboring countries, including Pakistan, to stop the imposed war.”
For his part, Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s stance of condemning the military action against Iran, particularly recent Israeli attacks on Iran’s economic infrastructure in the cities of Ahvaz and Isfahan, the statement said.
In a post on X earlier today, Pezeshkian said Tehran will “retaliate strongly” if the country’s infrastructure and economy are targeted.
“We have said many times that Iran doesn’t carry out preemptive attacks, but we will retaliate strongly if our infrastructure or economic centers are targeted,” Pezeshkian wrote.
In a message he aimed at “countries of the region,” he added: “If you want development and security, don’t let our enemies run the war from your lands.”
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4 hr 53 min ago
Nuclear sites hit as war escalates in its fourth week
By Mostafa Salem
Israel launched a large-scale attack against Iranian nuclear sites and industrial plants after threatening to “escalate and expand” its strikes against Tehran, with both sides showing little sign of restraint even with diplomatic efforts underway.
Israel struck two steel plants Friday night, including one in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province that uses radioactive material, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said, while a heavy water plant in Arak, which includes key production sites for plutonium, was also hit. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported no radiation risks.
One person was killed in the Israeli strike on the steel complex in Isfahan, according to Iranian media, while two large electric power plants supplying the plant were also damaged.
And Iran’s atomic agency said a factory in Yazd province that produces ‘yellowcake’, a concentrated powder form of uranium used in nuclear fuel, was targeted, but added that there was no “release of radioactive materials outside the facility.”
Iran’s vow: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran will “exact a heavy price” following the strikes. Earlier this week local media listed a host of key regional sites – including desalination plants and a UAE nuclear station – as possible targets.
Tehran last week launched a barrage on Dimona, an Israeli city near a clandestine nuclear facility, and has repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure across the region, including firing drones that caused extensive damage to airports and energy facilities in Gulf Arab states.
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5 hr 21 min ago
Gulf states continue to fend off attacks
Rhea Mogul
By Rhea Mogul
Countries in the Gulf continue to intercept attacks, one month into the war in the Middle East.
Here’s what we’re seeing in the region so far this morning:
United Arab Emirates: Falling debris from an intercepted ballistic missile caused three fires near Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi, an industrial hub between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, authorities said. Six people were injured, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. So far today, the UAE has engaged 20 ballistic missiles and 37 drones launched from Iran, the country’s defense ministry said in a statement.
Oman: Drones targeted the port of Salalah, the Oman News Agency reported today. One foreign worker was injured and a crane was damaged in the incident.
Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Defense said it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards the capital Riyadh.
Bahrain: The country’s civil defense put out a fire in a facility targeted by Iran, Bahrain’s interior ministry said early today.
Kuwait: A drone attack targeting Kuwait International Airport damaged its radar system, reported Kuwait News Agency, which also said the country’s National Guard downed six drones in the past 24 hours.
This post has been updated with additional developments.
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5 hr 53 min ago
How global oil's Red Sea lifeline is now also at risk
Anna Cooban
By Anna Cooban
We’ve been reporting this morning on the announcement by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement that it had launched ballistic missiles against Israel on Saturday, marking its entry into the war.
Houthis announce entry to Iran war with missile launch toward Israel
00:50
Attacks on commercial ships in the Middle East this month have all but closed the vital Strait of Hormuz to tankers, upending the oil market and sending producers in search of other routes to get their fuel to buyers around the world.
One of the few alternatives goes through the Red Sea. Saudi Aramco, the world’s top oil producer, said it would reroute millions of barrels of crude via a pipeline running to Saudi Arabia’s western port of Yanbu in the Red Sea.
The number of daily oil loadings at the port has already more than doubled this month compared with the daily average last year, according to data from Kpler, a trade data and analytics company. But now even that lifeline is at risk.
In late 2023, Iran-backed Houthi militants began attacking vessels in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas. The security situation forced shipping companies to redirect their vessels around the southern tip of Africa, adding weeks onto journeys and forcing them to spend more on fuel, insurance and seafarers’ wages.
The current regional conflict and “the continued hostile posture of Houthi forces toward commercial shipping” mean that the threat level in the Red Sea is “substantial,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said in an advisory earlier this month, before the Houthis made their announcement.
Read more here.
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6 hr 30 min ago
Houthi rebels fire missiles at Israel a month into the war. Catch up here
By Catherine Nicholls
Screengrab from Houthi statement on Israel attack
Houthis announce entry to Iran war with missile launch toward Israel
00:50
It has now been a month since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran, launching a conflict that has been swirling in the region ever since.
Today, the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group said it launched missiles from Yemen toward Israel for the first time since the war began.
If you’re just joining us today, catch up on the latest developments below:
The Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement announced it had launched ballistic missiles against Israel today, marking its entry into the war. Israel’s military also said earlier today it had detected a missile launched toward Israel from Yemen.
Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry confirmed it will begin hosting a meeting of foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia from tomorrow to discuss regional developments, including the war.
Pakistan’s prime minister also held a one-hour call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, a senior Pakistani source told CNN today.
An Oman port was targeted by “two unmanned aerial vehicles,” the government-run Oman News Agency reported today, citing a security source.
A drone attack targeting Kuwait International Airport damaged its radar system, Kuwait News Agency reported. It also said that Kuwait’s National Guard downed six drones in the past 24 hours. Take a look here for a round-up of incidents reported in the region.
CNN’s Eugenia Yosef, Ross Adkin, Rhea Mogul, Nadeen Ebrahim, Ibrahim Dahman, Sophia Saifi and Gul Tuysuz contributed to this reporting.
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6 hr 49 min ago
In pictures: Lebanon and Israel hit by more strikes
By CNN's Photo Desk
These are the latest images we’re seeing today following Iranian missile strikes on Tel Aviv, Israel and after Israeli airstrikes on south Lebanon.
An Israeli rescue personnel works at the impact site following Iranian missile barrages as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, in Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday.
An Israeli rescue personnel works at the impact site following Iranian missile barrages as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, in Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday. Itai Ron/Reuters
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs early on Saturday.
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs early on Saturday. Fadel Itani/AFP/Getty Images
People assess the damage at a site hit overnight by fragments of an Iranian missile in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
People assess the damage at a site hit overnight by fragments of an Iranian missile in Tel Aviv on Saturday. Ilia Yefimovich/AFP/Getty Images
Family members of a man who was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike, mourn over his body during a funeral procession in Saksakiyeh village , south Lebanon on Saturday.
Family members of a man who was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike, mourn over his body during a funeral procession in Saksakiyeh village , south Lebanon on Saturday. Hussein Malla/AP
Hassan Badran, a local, stands next to a building destroyed by an Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Saksakiyeh, southern Lebanon on Saturday.
Hassan Badran, a local, stands next to a building destroyed by an Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Saksakiyeh, southern Lebanon on Saturday. Yara Nardi/Reuters
Debris litters a street at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs on Saturday.
Debris litters a street at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs on Saturday. AFP/Getty Images
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6 hr 40 min ago
Houthi involvement in war may bring new threat to shipping
By Tim Lister
A picture taken on August 10, 2018 shows a view of Yemeni fishing boats along the Yemeni side of the strategic strait of Bab al-Mandab, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from east Africa.
A picture taken on August 10, 2018 shows a view of Yemeni fishing boats along the Yemeni side of the strategic strait of Bab al-Mandab, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from east Africa. Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images
The Houthis’ entry into the Middle East conflict may put the region’s oil exports and shipping at even greater risk.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed for a month. The Houthis can threaten another critical chokepoint - the Bab al-Mandab Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
The Bab al-Mandab translates as Gate of Tears, because of its challenging navigation. It is 29 kilometers (18 miles) across at its narrowest point.
More than 30 million tonnes of natural gas passed through the Strait in the first 11 months of 2023, as well as vast amounts of container traffic and 12% of total seaborne-traded oil, according to the US Energy Information Agency.
But the Houthis then began targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea after Israel launched military action in Gaza following the October 7 attacks. More than 100 ships were struck before the Houthis declared a pause in attacks last November.
Those attacks forced hundreds of vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, lengthening voyage times – and cost.
Closing the chokepoint is a “viable option,” Mohammed Mansour, undersecretary of the Houthis’ ministry of information, said in a text to CNN last week.
An Iranian source told the country’s semi-official Tasnim News warned that if US forces tried to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, “they should be careful not to add another strait to their challenges … Iran is fully prepared to escalate the situation.”
Since traffic through Hormuz was severely curtailed, Saudi Arabia has begun re-routing its oil exports to the port of Yanbu on its west coast through a pipeline that is capable of handling 7 million barrels a day. Tanker traffic in the Red Sea has spiked as a result.
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7 hr 4 min ago
Pakistan's PM holds one hour call with Iran's president, source says
Sophia Saifi
By Sophia Saifi and Mostafa Salem
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif looks on as he attends a business and investment conference with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur on October 6, 2025.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif looks on as he attends a business and investment conference with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur on October 6, 2025. Hasnoor Hussain/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a one-hour call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, a senior Pakistani source told CNN.
The call comes one day prior to a meeting of the foreign ministers of several regional powers, including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, scheduled to take place in Islamabad.
“During the visit, the foreign ministers will hold in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region,” a statement from the Pakistani foreign ministry said earlier.
During the call, Sharif condemned Israeli strikes against Iran, reiterated Pakistan’s “solidarity” with Tehran, and detailed the “diplomatic outreach” undertaken by the Pakistani government, according to a statement issued by his office.
Pezeshkian responded by stressing “the need to build trust in order to facilitate talks and mediation,” while acknowledging Pakistan’s efforts, the statement added.
This post has been updated with additional information.
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7 hr 36 min ago
Women displaced by Israeli strikes in Lebanon skipping meals and going without medicine
Sana Noor Haq
By Kareem El Damanhoury and Sana Noor Haq
An elderly displaced woman stands next to her tent inside Camille Chamoun Sports City stadium, which was converted into a reception and shelter facility for displaced people on Friday.
An elderly displaced woman stands next to her tent inside Camille Chamoun Sports City stadium, which was converted into a reception and shelter facility for displaced people on Friday. Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images
A young boy tenderly kisses his newborn sibling at an improvised shelter in Beirut, Lebanon. Nearby, an elderly woman cuddles her two new grandchildren swaddled in fluffy blankets.
Video published by Reuters on Friday showed families and midwives gathered at an improvised shelter in the Lebanese capital – where Israeli bombs have laid waste to entire neighborhoods, triggered mass displacement and depleted the healthcare system.
One woman recalled the psychological shock of being unable to give birth with her doctor after she was displaced by the military campaign. Another warned that newborn babies are unable to access adequate medication at sprawling displacement centers.
“How am I going to breastfeed? How am I going to do baths?” a 29-year-old mother, Hawraa Houmani, told Reuters.
At least 620,000 women and girls, including those from Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian communities, have been forced to flee their homes, the UN women’s agency reported Friday.
A woman holds a child as she rides in a bus during rain in central Beirut on Thursday.
A woman holds a child as she rides in a bus during rain in central Beirut on Thursday. Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images
Women are skipping meals so their children can eat, the UN Women representative in Lebanon, Gielan El Messiri, reported Friday. Older women are unable to access medication for chronic health conditions, said El Messiri.
One 64-year-old woman in the south recalled nervously stepping outside her home after a wave of bombing to find collapsed houses lining her street in Majdal Zoun.
“No one was left in the village. I got out… And found collapsed houses,” Khadija Youssef, who was displaced at a school-turned-shelter in Tyre, told Reuters. “There were only about 10 to 15 people from the civil defence. They told me to wait and that they would drive me, and then airstrikes and warplanes returned, and I got scared.”
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8 hr 46 min ago
A look at Iran's warfare methods to control the Strait of Hormuz
Lauren Kent
By Lauren Kent and Annette Choi
Iran has the upper hand in the Strait of Hormuz in part because of its unconventional warfare methods, including cheap drones and sea mines.
9 hr 10 min ago
Pakistan confirms it will host talks with Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia
Sophia Saifi
Gul Tuysuz
By Sophia Saifi and Gul Tuysuz
Islamabad’s foreign affairs ministry confirmed it will host a quadrilateral meeting of foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to discuss regional developments, including the US-Iran war.
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey will visit Islamabad from Sunday to Monday, Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry said.
“During the visit, the Foreign Ministers will hold in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region,” it said.
Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said there were plans to initially host the talks in Turkey, in an interview with private broadcaster AHaber.
“But since our Pakistani brother had to stay in his country, we shifted it to Pakistan,” Fidan said during the interview.
Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary in the current bout of diplomacy between the US and Iran, delivering a 15-point plan peace plan proposed by Washington to Iran.
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9 hr 23 min ago
What to know about the Houthis, the Iran-backed Yemen rebel group that has entered the war
By Christian Edwards
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Saturday announced that they fired missiles at Israel as they entered the widening conflict in the Middle East. The Israeli military had earlier said it detected a missile from Yemen.
Who they are
The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah (Supporters of God), is one side of the Yemeni civil war. It emerged in the 1990s, when its leader, Hussein al-Houthi, launched “Believing Youth,” a religious revival movement for a centuries-old subsect of Shia Islam called Zaidism.
The Zaidis ruled Yemen for centuries but were marginalized under the Sunni regime that came to power after the 1962 civil war. Al-Houthi’s movement was founded to represent Zaidis and resist radical Sunnism, particularly Wahhabi ideas from Saudi Arabia. His closest followers became known as Houthis.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when Houthi forces stormed the capital Sanaa and toppled the internationally recognized and Saudi-backed government. The conflict spiraled into a wider war in 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition intervened in an attempt to beat back the Houthis.
A ceasefire was signed in 2022, but it lapsed just after six months. Warring parties have not, however, returned to full-scale conflict.
Houthis’ allies
The Houthis are backed by Iran, which began increasing its aid to the group in 2014 as the civil war escalated and as its rivalry with Saudi Arabia intensified. Iran has provided the group with weapons and technology for, among other things, sea mines, ballistic and cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, according to a 2021 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Houthis form part of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” - an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias backed by the Islamic Republic.
How powerful is the group?
American officials have been tracking iterative improvements in the range, accuracy and lethality of the Houthis’ domestically produced missiles. Initially, home-grown Houthi weapons were largely assembled with Iranian components smuggled into Yemen in pieces, an official familiar with US intelligence told CNN previously.
They have previously used drones and anti-ship missiles to target commercial ships – some of which aren’t believed to be linked to Israel – prompting the USS Carney, a warship in the Red Sea, to respond to distress calls.
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6 hr 16 min ago
Houthis announce entry to Iran war with missile launch toward Israel
Rhea Mogul
By Rhea Mogul, Nadeen Ebrahim and Ibrahim Dahman
Screengrab from Houthi statement on Israel attack
Houthis announce entry to Iran war with missile launch toward Israel
00:50
The Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement announced it had launched ballistic missiles against Israel on Saturday, marking its entry into the war.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces, with the help of Allah Almighty and relying upon Allah, have carried out the first military operation using a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting sensitive Israeli military sites in southern occupied Palestine,” it said in a statement, adding that it was part of what it called a “direct military intervention” in support of Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces said earlier it had detected a missile launched toward Israel from Yemen and was working to intercept it.
The Houthi statement said the operation was a direct response to “continued military escalation, the targeting of infrastructure, and the perpetration of crimes and massacres against our brothers in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, and Palestine.”
A Houthi official previously told CNN the group was prepared to join the war in support of Iran, if the US and Israel escalate their attacks.
Closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait off the coast of Yemen – the chokepoint linking the Red Sea to global shipping lanes – is a “viable option,” Mohammed Mansour, undersecretary of the Houthis’ ministry of information, said in a text to CNN.
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10 hr 28 min ago
About 20,000 stranded at sea as Strait of Hormuz effectively closed
By CNN staff
About 20,000 seafarers are stranded at sea since Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital trade routes.
Here’s what a captain who was stuck in the Middle East for three weeks told CNN:
Stranded at sea by the Iran conflict
01:23
10 hr 41 min ago
Oman's Salalah port targeted by drones, government news agency says
Rhea Mogul
By Rhea Mogul
General view of Port of Salalah in Dhofar governorate, Oman on August 6, 2024.
General view of Port of Salalah in Dhofar governorate, Oman on August 6, 2024. Rula Rouhana/Reuters
An Oman port was targeted by “two unmanned aerial vehicles,” the government-run Oman News Agency reported Saturday, citing a security source.
The incident at the port of Salalah injured one foreign worker and damaged a crane, the news agency said.
“The Sultanate of Oman reiterates its strong condemnation of these hostile attacks and affirms its commitment to taking all necessary measures to uphold the nation’s security and ensure the safety of all individuals on its soil,” Oman News Agency reported.
11 hr 1 min ago
Israel says missile launched from Yemen, first since Iran war began
By Eugenia Yosef and Ross Adkin
Israel’s military said early on Saturday it had detected a missile launched toward Israel from Yemen and was working to intercept it.
It marks the first time authorities in Israel have identified missiles launched from Yemen since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran four weeks ago.
An official from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement previously told CNN it was prepared to join the war in support of Iran, if the US and Israel escalate their attacks.
Closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait off the coast of Yemen – the chokepoint linking the Red Sea to global shipping lanes – is a “viable option,” Mohammed Mansour, undersecretary of the Houthis’ ministry of information, said in a text to CNN.
On the other side of the Arabian peninsula, Iran has already closed the Strait of Hormuz – the main conduit for about 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas – throwing global oil markets into chaos.
The Houthis are a Shiite Islamist movement which in 2014 seized control of Yemen’s capital Sana’a. With sustained Iranian arms supplies and support, they emerged as Yemen’s most cohesive military and political entity, controlling most of the country’s northwestern border with Saudi Arabia, and holding the critical Red Sea coastline.
The rebel group has already caused major disruption in the Red Sea since October 2023, firing on hundreds of Israeli targets in retaliation for Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
It has also targeted ships linked to the US and UK, impeding the flow of global trade. Efforts to degrade the rebels’ capabilities failed to halt the attacks.
Nadeen Ebrahim contributed reporting
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11 hr 17 min ago
Seven islands that hold the keys to the Strait of Hormuz
Brad Lendon
By Brad Lendon
With thousands of US ground troops reportedly on the way to the Middle East, speculation is mounting that they may be assigned to take Iran’s Kharg Island, a key fuel hub in the northern Persian Gulf which handles 90% of Tehran’s oil exports.
But Kharg is just one of dozens of Iranian islands in the gulf, and others may be more important to securing the safe passage of ships – and naval vessels – through the Strait of Hormuz.
Seven of these islands form what researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in Zhuhai, China, call Iran’s “arch defense.”
“A hypothetical curve connecting these islands would further help to understand Iran’s strategic superiority in controlling the security” of the Hormuz strait, Iranian researcher Enayatollah Yazdani and Chinese researcher Ma Yanzhe wrote in a 2022 paper for the Canadian Center of Science and Education.
Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb – the smallest of the seven and at the western end of the arch – are key to strait control, the two researchers wrote.
Because of the limited distance between them and the depth of the water in the largely shallow gulf, “large warships and tankers are forced to walk past” the three islands, the researchers said. That can make them easy targets for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fast-attack boats, mine layers, or drones operating from those islands.
Read more about these islands, which analysts say are key to controlling maritime traffic.
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12 hr 25 min ago
Israeli destruction of Litani River bridges severing southern Lebanon from aid lifelines
Sana Noor Haq
By Sana Noor Haq
Israeli forces’ demolition of crossings through the Litani River will cut off tens of thousands of residents in southern Lebanon from “essential lifelines,” human rights workers have warned, as the rate of killings, destruction and displacement across the country spiraled.
CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh reported earlier about an Israeli airstrike on a bridge over the Litani River:
Israeli airstrike hits bridge in Lebanon
00:41
The destruction of critical infrastructure, including bridges and road networks, will inflict “significant humanitarian consequences” on Lebanese communities under Israeli bombing, according to Hovig Atamian, a senior relief worker for the international NGO, CARE International, in the capital Beirut. “Such infrastructure serves as essential lifelines connecting communities,” he said.
“When key crossings over the Litani River are rendered non-functional, this risks further isolating parts of southern Lebanon from the rest of the country,” Atamian, the CARE assistant country director for programs in Lebanon, told CNN in a statement on Wednesday.
The Israeli military has blown up several bridges over the Litani River – which bisects Lebanon – in recent days, as part of a broader assault in the south. Just on Tuesday, the Israeli defense minister claimed those links were used by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah “for the transfer of terrorists and weapons.” At least three of those bridges were destroyed in the space of 10 days, the UN reported on Monday.
A fireball rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Qasmiyeh bridge in southern Lebanon on March 22, 2026.
A fireball rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Qasmiyeh bridge in southern Lebanon on March 22, 2026. Kawnat Haju/AFP/AGetty Images
CNN’s Eugenia Yosef contributed reporting.
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12 hr 58 min ago
Israel detects missile from Yemen, Trump says war "not finished yet." Here's the latest
Rhea Mogul
By Rhea Mogul
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute's summit at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach, Florida on Friday.
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute's summit at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach, Florida on Friday. Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Israel’s military said early on Saturday it had detected a missile launched toward its territory from Yemen, and was working to intercept it.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump warned that the war with Iran is “not finished,” and that the US has thousands of targets left to strike.
Here is what you need to know on Day 29 of the conflict.
Missile detected: Israel’s military said on Saturday it had detected a missile launched toward Israel from Yemen. It marks the first time authorities in Israel have identified missiles launched from Yemen since the war began.
War “not finished”: Trump said the war with Iran is “not finished yet” in remarks at the FII Summit in Miami on Friday. Trump also said that the US still has “another 3,554” targets left to hit in Iran. “That’ll be done pretty quickly,” he said. Trump has previously claimed victory numerous times over Iran.
Saudi Arabia attack: At least 10 US service members were wounded in an Iranian attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, a US official told CNN. No service members were killed. A refueler tanker aircraft was also damaged.
No ground troops: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the US can achieve its objectives “without any ground troops,” as more than 1,000 extra service members have been ordered to deploy to the region. As to why more service members are being sent to the Middle East, Rubio said Trump “has to be prepared for multiple contingencies.”
New deployment: The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier is expected to deploy to an area near the conflict, according to a source. It’s unclear if it will join or replace either of the two US aircraft carriers already in the region.
Read the full catch-up here.
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12 hr 47 min ago
At least 10 US service members injured in attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia
Kristen Holmes
Natasha Bertrand
Haley Britzky
By Kristen Holmes, Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky
A satellite file image shows planes at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on February 17, 2026.
A satellite file image shows planes at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on February 17, 2026. 2026 Planet Labs PBC/Handout/Reuters
At least 10 US service members were injured in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, a US official told CNN. No service members were killed.
At least two of the injured had shrapnel wounds considered not life threatening, and several other service members were “impacted,” though the nature of what happened to them was not immediately clear, another US official said.
A refueler tanker aircraft was also damaged, the first source said.
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