Iran intensified its attacks on oil and gas facilities around the Gulf on Thursday in retaliation for an Israeli attack on a key Iranian gas field, dramatically raising the stakes in a war that is sending shock waves through the global economy.
President Donald Trump warned that the U.S. would " massively blow up the entirety " of Iran's gas field if it continues attacking its neighbors. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared later Thursday that Iran no longer can enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles. As he spoke, Israel's military sent another alert about incoming Iranian missiles, and sirens sounded from Haifa to the Sea of Galilee.
The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, spiked more than 60% since Israel and the United States started the war with Iran. Meanwhile, the death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon topped 1,000 people on Thursday amid renewed fighting with the militant group Hezbollah.
Here is the latest:
Netanyahu says he didn’t deceive Trump about war with Iran
“I misled no one,” Israel’s prime minister said in a news conference Thursday.
“And I didn’t have to convince President Trump about the need to prevent Iran from developing its nuclear program,” he continued, “putting it underground and being able to launch nuclear-tipped missiles at the United States. He understood that.”
Regarding the war’s toll on U.S. troops, he sent his condolences on behalf of Israel, saying, “The cost to bereaved families is enormous.”
Netanyahu also waved off rising fuel prices as a “spike” that will come down and said he expects the U.S. will reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Netanyahu says Israel will hold off on any further attacks on Iran’s giant natural gas field at Trump’s request
In a televised address, Netanyahu also said that “Iran’s air defenses have been rendered useless, their navy is lying at the bottom of the sea ... their air force is nearly destroyed.”
The Israeli leader said he hopes the Iranian people will rise up against the Islamic Republic that has ruled for nearly half a century, but he conceded "it's too early" to say whether that will happen. There's been no sign of such an uprising since the war began in Iran, where authorities crushed mass protests in January.
Iraqi security tracks dozens of attacks on US facility next to Baghdad airport
A former U.S. base adjacent to Baghdad’s airport that still provides logistical support to American operations has been attacked at least 65 times since the beginning of the war, according to an Iraqi security report obtained by The Associated Press.
The vast majority of the attacks between March 2 and 18 involved drones — sometimes several fired at once — a total of 73. The report said between 17 and 22 shells and missiles were fired at the facility. Iran-backed Iraqi militias have claimed some of the attacks.
Most of the launches have been intercepted, but on Wednesday, a rocket attack wounded four airport security personnel and staff. Multiple attacks have also targeted the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. consulate in the northern city of Irbil.
A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the Iraqi report figure is “in the ballpark” of what the U.S. has been tracking in terms of rocket, drone or other attack attempts on the airport.
— By Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Matthew Lee
Netanyahu denies that Israel pressured the United States into going to war
The Israeli leader dedicated a substantial chunk of his press conference to denying that his government pushed the United States into war.
“This canard that we dragged the United States into this is not just a canard, it’s ridiculous,” he said, reciting a checklist of Iranian attacks and threats against America over the decades. He said Trump had told him more than a year ago: “Bibi, we’ve got to make sure that Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons.”
“The world owes a debt of deep indebtedness, deep indebtedness to President Trump for leading this effort to safeguard our future,” he said.
Netanyahu says Iran no longer can enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles
Since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, Iran's top leaders have been killed in airstrikes and the country's military capabilities have been severely degraded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Thursday that Iran no longer has the ability to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles.
Still, Iran — now led by the son of the supreme leader killed in the war's opening salvo — remains capable of missile and drone attacks rattling its Gulf Arab neighbors and a global economy dependent on the energy they produce.
Israel says Hezbollah has fired roughly 700 rockets, missiles and drones
Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani accused Lebanon’s government of failing to clear the militant group from the country’s south as required by a 2024 ceasefire.
Hezbollah began firing toward Israel in the opening days of the current war, renewing fighting that had been muffled since the ceasefire. Shoshani said Israel had “no choice but to operate against the threat Hezbollah poses to our civilians.”
The Iran-backed group’s strikes have not caused any fatalities but have wounded Israelis and damaged buildings in the country’s north. Israel has responded with airstrikes and expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon, displacing more than 1 million people and killing more than 1,300, according to Lebanese authorities.
Will Trump deploy US troops to seize Iran’s uranium?
The U.S. president is facing perhaps the most daunting question of the war with Iran, one that could define his time in office: Will he send U.S. troops to secure some 970 pounds of enriched uranium that Tehran could potentially use to build nuclear weapons?
Trump has offered shifting reasons for joining Israel in launching the war, but he's consistently said Iran must "never have a nuclear weapon."
Much of Iran's near-bomb-grade nuclear material is believed to be buried under the rubble of a mountain facility pummeled in U.S. bombings Trump ordered last June.
Seizing or destroying it would be risky and complicated, and many nuclear experts say it can't be done without a sizable, dangerous and politically fraught troop deployment by the Republican leader who has vowed not to entangle the U.S. in another extended and bloody Middle East conflict.
Iran war puts risks of Trump’s oil focus on display
When Trump returned to office last year, he launched a crusade in pursuit of what he calls American energy dominance.
Now, as crude oil prices rise above $100 a barrel and gasoline prices surge toward $4 a gallon, experts say Trump’s strategy of blocking clean energy such as wind and solar power has made the U.S. more vulnerable to supply shocks caused by the war. The Strait of Hormuz, a key access point for the global oil market, is effectively blocked.
Trump said Thursday he knew oil prices would go up and “the economy will go down a little bit” as a result of the war.
“I thought it would be worse — much worse, actually,’′ he said.
F-35 jet is forced to make an emergency landing, US military says
One of America's most advanced fighter jets made an emergency landing after flying a combat mission over Iran, U.S. Central Command says.
The jet landed safely and the pilot was in “stable” condition, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the command that oversees the Middle East.
CNN first reported on the incident and said the jet was believed to be hit by Iranian fire. Iran’s state TV, quoting a Revolutionary Guard statement, said its air defense system badly damaged an F-35. Hawkins wouldn’t comment on the report and said the incident was under investigation.
The stubby-nosed aircraft with stealth coatings costs up to $77 million a piece in 2023, according to the Congressional Research Service.
UN agency wants a humanitarian corridor to evacuate ships trapped by the Iran war
The International Maritime Organization said it would work on a “safe maritime corridor” for the 3,000 vessels and 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf while the war effectively closes the Strait of Hormuz.
The agency also urged countries to provide those crews with food, water and fuel. However, its resolutions are non-binding.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said naval escorts for shipping would not be fully safe or sustainable, and stressed that only an end to fighting will solve the issue.
US approves $23 billion in arms sales to Arab allies as Iran war escalates
In notices sent to Congress on Thursday, the State Department said the U.S. would sell:
Another $6 billion in sales to the three countries was approved but did not require congressional notification because they involved adjustments to previously approved packages or purely commercial sales, a State Department official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the details of those sales are not public.
Trump invokes Pearl Harbor in talking about launching the Iran war
The U.S. president was pressed by reporters in the Oval Office to explain why he did not coordinate or inform allies, such as Japan, before launching the war.
“We didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise,” said Trump, who then said, turning to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK? Right?”
The Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese bombing of the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii killed more than 2,300 Americans. The U.S. declared war against Japan the next day.
Trump says he urged Netanyahu ‘don’t do that’ amid fallout from Israeli attack on gas field
Asked if he’d spoken to the Israeli prime minister about the attack, Trump said, “Yeah, I did, I did. I told him, ‘Don’t do that.’”
Trump continued, “And he won’t do that.” But he added, “We’ve — we’re independent. We get along great. It’s coordinated. But, on occasion, he’ll do something. And if I don’t like it. And so we’re not doing that anymore.”
Trump appeared to be suggesting that he'd spoken to Netanyahu only after the attack on Iran's South Pars natural gas field. A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that the United States was informed about Israel's plans to strike, but did not take part.
— By Aamer Madhani.
Trump tries to justify $200 billion Iran war ask
The Pentagon is signaling that it needs an additional $200 billion for the war with Iran, but the president said Thursday that his administration also needs it for other reasons.
“This is a very volatile world,” Trump said from the Oval Office. He said the emergency spending, which would need congressional approval, would be a “very small price to pay” to ensure the nation’s military stays in top shape.
Trump says he’s ‘not putting troops anywhere’
Asked about the possibility of deploying U.S. ground troops to Iran, Trump responded, “No. I’m not putting troops anywhere.”
He then said he could deploy military forces wherever he wants, and wouldn't tell reporters about his plans.
Trump added, however: “I’m not putting troops.”
Qatari prime minister calls for a halt to Iranian attacks on his country
Qatar is open to diplomacy and maintaining good ties with Iran, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who serves as both prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.
But he condemned Iran’s attacks on the Ras Laffan energy complex in Qatar as an “act of sabotage” that demonstrates Tehran’s “policy of aggression” and “dangerous escalation.”
He rejected Iran’s claim that it was only targeting U.S. interests and bases, saying the strike on the gas facility hit a vital source of the Qatari people’s livelihood.
He said Israel chose to start this war against Iran, and in return Iran chose to retaliate with hostility toward its neighbors.
Sen. Bernie Sanders files resolution to block $600 million in arms sales to Israel
The resolution has virtually no chance of becoming law, but allows Sanders to force a vote that will put senators on record over whether they support Trump’s decision to sell bombs to Israel during the war with Iran.
The independent senator from Vermont has been an ardent critic of Israel's actions in the region. "No more weapons to support an illegal war," his statement said Thursday.
So far, Democrats have been mostly united in their opposition to U.S. involvement in the war, but the votes on the arms sales may divide the Democratic Caucus. Similar efforts to block arms sales during Israel’s war in Gaza split Democrats, yet also demonstrated the growing resistance within the party to Israel’s military operations.
UN chief calls for peace and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
Secretary-General António Guterres called for “diplomacy to prevail over war” and said fallout from the conflicts in the Middle East has spread globally.
“The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz causes enormous pain in so many peoples around the world that have nothing to do with this conflict,” he said during a meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels on Thursday.
He called on Israel and the United States to cease their military campaign and for Iran to open the key oil route and halt attacks on neighboring states, which he said “were never parties to the conflict.”
Israeli minister says electricity grid in the north has been damaged as media show fire near Haifa refinery
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said after the latest Iranian missile barrage that the electricity grid in northern Israel sustained some damage. He said crews had restored electricity to some areas and were working to restore it to those still without power.
Meanwhile, Israeli media showed images of black smoke rising from the oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa. They reported that initial assessments show that part of an Iranian cluster munition hit the refinery.
Hegseth: ‘It takes money to kill bad guys’
The defense secretary did not directly confirm at his news conference that the Pentagon has asked the White House for $200 billion more to fund the Iran war. The White House, meanwhile, did not answer more questions about the funding request.
Hegseth said the amount could change, but “we’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded.”
It's an extraordinarily high number and comes on top of $839 billion in the Pentagon budget plus $150 billion in extra funding the Defense Department received last year in Trump's big tax cuts bill. It would need approval by a Congress that has not authorized the war, and lawmakers are showing growing unease with the military operation's scope and strategy.
Treasury secretary says US is considering lifting sanctions on Iranian oil currently at sea
“In the coming days, we may un-sanction the Iranian oil that’s on the water. It’s about 140 million barrels,” Scott Bessent said Thursday on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria.” He said the move is a way to prevent only China from benefiting from the crude.
Bessent said it amounts to roughly “10 days to two weeks of supply that the Iranians had been pushing out that would have all gone to China,” and that “good actors” such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and India should have access.
“In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price down for the next 10 or 14 days, as we continue this campaign,” he said.
The Trump administration also eased sanctions on certain Russian oil shipments for 30 days to boost global oil supplies while the Iran war continues.
Israel says it has killed more than 500 Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon
Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Thursday that 200 of those killed were members of the elite Radwan unit. He gave no further evidence.
The claim came as the death toll in Lebanon topped 1,000.
Asked about the strike on the South Pars gas field, Shoshani declined to comment, but said that in general the Israeli military had “great coordination” with the United States.
Egypt Red Crescent facilitates aid entry and assists patients as Gaza border reopens
The Egyptian Red Crescent supported Palestinian medical patients crossing in and out of Egypt.
The Rafah border crossing with Gaza reopened Thursday after Israel closed it from the Palestinian side when the Iran war began.
Teams on the Egyptian side assisted people returning to the Gaza Strip, provided psychosocial support to children, and helped facilitate the entry of an aid convoy carrying 1,950 tons of food, flour, fuel and winter supplies. It remains unclear whether the convoy entered Gaza after inspection at the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom Crossing.
US Jews grapple with a surge in attacks and bitter rifts over Israeli policies
There is widespread anger over rising attacks on Jewish communities in the U.S., alongside deep internal divisions over whether to support or oppose Israel’s actions in the Middle East. Rabbis nationwide also say soaring security costs are straining congregations, with some synagogues spending over $1 million annually as threats rise.
Last week, communities united in condemning an attempted attack at a Detroit-area synagogue. A man whose family members were killed by an Israeli strike in Lebanon drove a pickup truck into a building hosting more than 100 preschool children; he later killed himself in a gunfight with police.
“No matter what Israel does, no matter how immoral or brutal or horrifying, it doesn’t justify attacking a synagogue or justifying attacking American Jews in any way,” said Peter Beinart, a Jewish author and commentator.
Health of the new Iranian leader is ‘unclear’ after strike, Gabbard says
The health of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei remains uncertain, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Congress Thursday.
Testifying before the House Intelligence Committee, Gabbard said his exact condition, as well as the leadership structure in Iran, is not fully known to U.S. intelligence.
“It is unclear his status or his involvement. He was injured very severely in one of the Israeli strikes,” Gabbard said. “So the decision-making is unclear.”
Officials have said the new leader was wounded and possibly disfigured by the Israeli strike. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first statement on the war last week, though he did not appear on camera and the speech was read by a news anchor.
He was chosen to succeed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a major attack by Israel and the United States at the start of the war.
Japan and European nations demand an end to attacks on shipping, oil and gas
The leaders of five European countries and Japan condemned “in the strongest terms” Iranian attacks on shipping and oil and gas facilities, and demanded Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a joint statement Thursday with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan, demanding Iran “cease immediately” its drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping.
The countries said they are ready to contribute to “appropriate efforts” to ensure ships can pass safely through the strait, a key oil route. British officials have acknowledged that planning for such action is at a very early stage.
The leaders also called for a “comprehensive moratorium” on attacks on oil and gas installations.
Hegseth warns that US military controls Iran’s fate
Hegseth warned that Iran should stop targeting neighboring countries with drones and missiles as American forces continue to attack the Islamic Republic.
“The United States military controls the fate of that country,” Hegseth said Thursday from the Pentagon. “Iran has the ability to make the right choices. It should not, going forward, target Arab allies, Arab countries, trying to create pain, the pain that they created themselves.”
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added that U.S. forces continue to attack deeper into Iranian territory, with A-10 Warthog attack planes hunting Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz and Apache helicopters striking Iranian drones.
Caine said the U.S. military has also dropped 5,000-pound penetrator weapons into underground weapon-storage facilities.
Russia’s nuclear chief says ‘no one will escape radiation’ if Iran’s nuclear reactor is hit
The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom on Thursday urged the U.S. and Israel to make sure they don’t hit Iran’s Russia-built nuclear power plant.
Alexei Likhachev warned that “not a single party to the conflict will escape the impact of radiation if there is a serious accident.” He had previously reported that a strike on Tuesday hit the territory of the plant near the building of metrology service close to the operating nuclear reactor, causing no injuries or damage.
Likhachev said that Rosatom had evacuated some of its personnel in Bushehr and is planning to pull out most of 480 people left there, leaving just a few dozen to operate the plant.