What to know about the Iran war today:
- President Trump dismissed concerns Friday about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed for almost nine months and is expected to be replaced in the Middle East by the USS George Washington.
- The United Arab Emirates blamed Iran for attacks on two vessels linked to its state-owned oil company as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.
- Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Thursday that “goal number one” for the Trump administration is to “keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country,” followed by ensuring “Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
1:53 PM
Trump says USS Abraham Lincoln’s deployment “not nearly long enough”
President Trump dismissed concerns Friday about the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed for almost nine months, most recently in the Middle East
Asked by a reporter if the aircraft carrier’s deployment has lasted too long, Mr. Trump said it hasn’t
“Not nearly long enough,” the president said at Joint Base Andrews before heading to New York
When the reporter told Mr. Trump that family members of U.S. service members are concerned about conditions on the ship, the president said, “No, they’re not.”
The president also noted that the ship was in the process of being relieved
“That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship,” he said
12:47 PM
USS Abraham Lincoln sailor’s dad worries about crew: “They should not be deployed this long”
The father of a sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln said he’s worried for his son and the rest of the ship’s crew as the aircraft carrier’s deployment to the Middle East stretches on
“They should not be deployed this long,” said Jefferson Kelley, whose son Jackson is aboard the Lincoln on his first-ever deployment. “These are old ships. It’s not like they’re even state-of-the-art. And they take a lot of maintenance, a lot of work. It’s around the clock.”
The ship has been at sea for nine months, much longer than the typical deployment of six months. Combat aircraft have launched from the carrier more than 10,000 times in the past eight months, U.S. officials say
Read more here
12:04 PM
Iraqi daily oil exports in August highest since start of war, says minister
Iraq’s average daily oil exports since the beginning of August are the highest since the outbreak of the war between Iran and the United States, which has choked off the Strait of Hormuz, the oil ministry said Friday
Iraqi Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair told a press conference that “exports since the beginning of the month have reached a rate of two million barrels” per day, for a total of around 26 million barrels, saying the daily rate was achieved “for the first time since the crisis began.”
11:37 AM
Senior Iranian lawmaker calls on U.S. to withdraw from region
A senior Iranian lawmaker said Friday that the United States must “leave the region,” in comments carried by state broadcaster IRIB.
“The Americans should leave the region without any doubt and accelerate this retreat and their flight,” Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Chairman Ebrahim Azizi said before Friday prayers in Shiraz
“The triad of surrender, partition and regime change was defeated in the face of the triad of popular resistance, steadfastness, resistance and courage, and the remarkable power of the armed forces,” he said
Azizi also said regional countries should not rely on Washington for security, adding: “The presence of the Americans in the region brings nothing but evil and insecurity.”
11:13 AM
Iran rejects accusations it is destabilizing Yemen
Iran has rejected U.S. accusations that Tehran is destabilizing Yemen, saying recent Iranian flights to Sanaa were humanitarian in nature
In a letter to the U.N. secretary-general and the president of the Security Council, Iran’s U.N. envoy Gholamhossein Darzi said the flights were intended to help Yemenis affected by the prolonged closure and restrictions on Sanaa International Airport, according to a copy published by state broadcaster IRIB.
In the letter he accused Washington of attempting to mislead the Security Council and divert attention from its own actions in Yemen. He said millions of Yemenis have been deprived of essential travel, medical treatment, education and humanitarian assistance due to restrictions on the country
Iran also called for an inclusive, peaceful, Yemeni-led political process under U.N. supervision, arguing lasting peace cannot be achieved through military escalation or pressure
Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have long been locked in conflict with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. In recent weeks, the Houthis have attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea in an attempt to block passage of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for Saudi vessels
10:33 AM
Trump orders new aircraft carriers to revert to steam catapults
President Trump has directed future aircraft carriers to scrap their advanced systems for launching warplanes and return to using older but “proven” catapult technologies, which could dramatically drive up military costs
Mr. Trump made the announcement Thursday as part of a national security presidential memorandum to “fix critical long-term issues in Navy shipbuilding and ship repair programs and restore capacity and competition to the maritime industrial base.”
Recent conflicts, including the Iran war, have highlighted problems with aging Navy vessels and lengthy procurement periods
The president bemoaned “an atrophied shipbuilding industrial base” which he said made building and repairing warships slower and more costly
His order directs the Pentagon to draft a plan to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic systems for forthcoming aircraft carriers. The first ship affected will be the USS Doris Miller, the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class carrier which has a projected delivery date of 2034
Sen. Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and retired U.S. Navy combat pilot, mocked Mr. Trump’s order as unnecessary meddling in military operations
“I’ve launched off the front of aircraft carriers hundreds of times, have a Master’s degree in aeronautical engineering, and am a test pilot and even I wouldn’t suggest to the Navy how to engineer specific systems on its ships,” Kelly posted on X
10:05 AM
New aircraft carrier heads to Middle East amid concerns about USS Lincoln conditions
The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is headed to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. official tells CBS News. The Lincoln has been deployed for almost nine months and in recent weeks, some families have voiced concerns about conditions on the ship.
During a town hall with the acting Navy secretary last week, some families expressed frustration that he offered no update about when the carrier would come home. But the Navy does not usually publicly announce the exact timing of a carrier’s movements in order to protect the ship’s security. The USS Lincoln deployed in November 2025, first to the Pacific but then was sent to the Middle East ahead of the Iran war.
At least one spouse during the town hall voiced concerns about the mental well-being of her partner, according to a person familiar with the events. Media reports this week quoted some family members who said they had heard multiple sailors had thought about jumping overboard.
The Navy pushed back on the notion that there is a mental health crisis onboard. In a statement to CBS News, a Navy spokesperson said, “We have not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship. We take every service member’s well-being seriously and have religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise.”
A Navy official told CBS News there has been a decrease in suicidal ideation cases as the deployment has gone on.
Read more here
9:29 AM
U.S.-led coalition intercepts 3 drones over Iraq’s Erbil
The U.S.-led coalition has intercepted at least three drones over the skies of Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, according to the local counter-terror agency
The interceptions happened early Friday, between 2:17 a.m. and 2:25 a.m. local time, when coalition forces shot down three “bomb-laden drones,” the Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism said in a statement on X
There were no casualties in the incident
Erbil has been repeatedly attacked since hostilities between the U.S. and Iran resumed in early July. The city hosts American forces at Erbil Air Base, and an American consulate
8:36 AM
Stocks mixed as oil climbs, dollar drops
Major stock markets traded mixed in sparse summer trading Friday, with oil prices edging higher and the dollar slipping as investors assess the outlooks for U.S. interest rates and the war in the Middle East
Data this week showing cooler inflation in the U.S. has bolstered expectations that the Federal Reserve will not rush to raise borrowing costs, potentially crimping growth. But with the U.S.-Iran conflict showing little sign that it could soon end, worries about stubborn inflation dominated attention across markets
Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the country’s top priority in the Iran war was to bring down gasoline prices for American consumers
Energy prices on markets have in recent weeks swung between big gains and losses as resurgent strikes in the Middle East give way to hopes of a peace deal, and vice versa
The country’s Kospi index had tanked about 40% between hitting its June high and an intra-day trough on Aug. 6, but has since rebounded more than 20%
Friday also saw gains for Tokyo, where tech giants Kioxia, Advantest and Sony rallied along with the technology investment titan SoftBank
Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila and Wellington were also up, while Hong Kong, Sydney, Taipei and Mumbai slipped and Shanghai ended little changed
In European midday deals, London dipped while Paris and Frankfurt rose, following gains on Wall Street on Thursday that saw the S&P 500 again hit a record high
8:11 AM
Saudi crown prince meets U.S. CENTCOM commander
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman met Thursday with U.S. Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper.
At the meeting, they discussed Saudi-U.S. defense cooperation, regional developments, and efforts to reduce tensions and strengthen security and stability in the region, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency, without going into specifics
7:33 AM
Iran has “complete and decisive” control over Strait of Hormuz, naval commander says
Iran has “complete and decisive” control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to the newly appointed commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy
“We have complete and decisive control over movements,” Rear Admiral Ali Azmaei said. “No activity in the Strait of Hormuz escapes the watch of the IRGC Navy’s fighters.”
He added that “reality should be seen on the ground, not in the statements and declarations of U.S. officials.”
6:52 AM
Saudi Arabia condemns Iranian attacks on UAE tankers in Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia condemned on Friday attacks on two tankers belonging to the state oil company of the United Arab Emirates, accusing Iran of being the perpetrator
In a statement on X, the kingdom’s foreign affairs ministry stressed “Saudi Arabia’s strongest condemnation and denunciation of the targeting of two tankers belonging to the UAE’s ADNOC [Abu Dhabi National Oil Company] company while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, in a rejected repetition of Iranian attacks targeting commercial ships and tankers.”
Iran and its proxy, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, have repeatedly targeted commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea. The U.S. military has also struck commercial tankers in the region
6:05 AM
UAE says Iran attacked two vessels in Strait of Hormuz
The United Arab Emirates on Friday blamed Iran for attacks on two vessels linked to its state-owned oil company as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier
Iran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait, frequently attacking commercial ships, and wants to charge users for passage, which the U.S. fiercely opposes
The UAE foreign ministry denounced what it called “the hostile Iranian attack” targeting two vessels affiliated with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) “with no injuries reported.”
ADNOC confirmed “two of its vessels were attacked while transiting” the waterway on Thursday evening, adding the situation was “brought under control,” the official WAM news agency reported
On Friday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported two identical incidents of drone strikes on tankers in Hormuz a day earlier, causing minor damage but no casualties
It was not clear whether they were referring to the ADNOC-affiliated ships
“UKMTO has received reports from military authorities that a tanker was struck by a Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) whilst conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was subject to minor damage, crew are reported as safe and accounted for and no environmental impact has been reported,” it said in both statements
Last week, ADNOC had said three of its tankers had been attacked in the strait, with the UAE foreign ministry reporting an attack on an ADNOC tanker a day later
6:05 AM
U.S. threatens Iran with “economic isolation like the world has never seen”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is threatening to subject Iran to economic isolation “like the world has never seen before,” adding that new measures are expected next week
“It will be a combination of economic isolation, like the world has never seen before,” Bessent told conservative television network Newsmax Thursday, adding that “the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz … will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports.”
“Watch this space for more announcements coming next week,” he said
Bessent described a two-pronged approach featuring financial pressure and a physical blockade of the Islamic republic’s ports
Vice President JD Vance said earlier that the top U.S. priority in the Iran war was bringing oil and gasoline prices down for Americans, with preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon now ranking second
The tougher stance contrasts with remarks by Bessent on Aug. 4, when he told CNBC an agreement with Tehran to reopen the strait could be reached within days
6:05 AM
CENTCOM defends conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln amid monthslong deployment
The U.S. military’s Central Command called a spate of news reports about dire conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier “false.”
The ship has been deployed for almost nine months, and is currently in the Middle East region. Lawmakers and family members have raised concerns about supply shortages, inadequate food, broken plumbing and mental health issues — and earlier this month, a sailor went overboard and was recovered, the Navy told CBS News
In a post on X, CENTCOM said service members “remain resilient and resolved after more than 260 days at sea, 10,000 aircraft flights, and 1.5 million pounds of ordnance expended.”
“No service members aboard the aircraft carrier have died, and the one Sailor who fell overboard Aug. 3 was quickly and safely recovered,” CENTCOM added. “The rampant misreporting on Abraham Lincoln’s historic deployment is a disservice to our men and women in uniform and their loved ones.”
6:05 AM
Kushner planning to travel to Jerusalem and Cairo next week amid Gaza peace push
President Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner is planning to travel to Jerusalem and Cairo next week, according to an official with the Board of Peace, the Trump-backed body that is pushing for a resolution to the Israel-Hamas conflict — as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushes back on the board’s plan
Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace Director-General Nickolay Mladenov will accompany Kushner, the official said
The official says they will continue the “constructive” conversations they’ve been having on how to advance Mr. Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, which calls for the militant group Hamas to disarm and give up any role in governing Gaza while Israeli forces withdraw from the enclave
Late last month, Mr. Trump announced Hamas and the Board of Peace had agreed on the next steps in his peace plan, with Hamas giving up its arms in stages and Israeli forces withdrawing from parts of Gaza as “disarmament is completed.” The Board of Peace laid out a 15-point roadmap covering the withdrawal and disarmament
But last weekend, Netanyahu said Israel “rejects the 15-point document,” saying the military “will not make any withdrawal until Hamas is truly disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and citizens.”
During their visit to the region, the three Board of Peace representatives plan to hear the concerns that have been raised, and talk about next steps, the Board of Peace official said.
In Cairo, there are meetings planned with Egyptian officials and other mediators
6:05 AM
Vance says Trump administration’s core Iran goals are “keeping oil and gas cheap,” blocking nuclear weapons
Asked about the Iran war, Vice President JD Vance told Fox News’ Will Cain that “goal number one” for the Trump administration is to “keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country,” followed by ensuring “Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
“I feel confident we’re accomplishing both of those goals, but it’s inherently an unpredictable thing because the Iranians themselves are unpredictable, and they sometimes don’t honor the commitments they’ve made to us,” Vance said
As oil shipments remain largely blocked in the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices are currently above pre-war levels but below their heights during the war’s early weeks. The Trump administration has pressed Iran to allow ships to pass through the strait, but Iran has said it plans to hold onto some control of the vital waterway
The benchmark for U.S. crude oil, West Texas Intermediate, stood at around $81 per barrel for next month’s deliveries as of 5 p.m. Thursday, compared to less than $70 in February and over $110 in April.
The price of gasoline is also elevated, averaging $4.07 per gallon nationwide, compared to $3.16 a year ago the price surpassed $4.50 per gallon
