• War latest:USPresident Donald Trump said he thinks Tehran would “love to make a deal” but that he doesn’t “think they’re ready to.” His comments came after he discussed a potential escalation of the war with Cabinet officials
• No reported strikes:US Central Command made no announcement of new military action against Iran on Friday after launching strikes against the country daily for almost two weeks. There were also no reports of overnight strikes on US regional allies
• Red Sea attack:Meanwhile, a reported attack on a Saudi vessel in the Red Sea was followed by what Houthi-affliated media said were Saudi airstrikes on the major port city of Hodeidah in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has not commented on the reported strikes
7 Posts
The UK Navy has reported an incident Friday in the Gulf of Oman involving a commercial vessel and “military forces.”
In a bulletin issued Saturday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had “received a report of an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman. Vessels are advised to consider the latest maritime security information and maintain awareness of the evolving operational environment.”
Last week, a similar notice was issued after the United States Navy intercepted and boarded a ship in the Gulf of Oman
US Central Command has not commented on any interceptions Friday
Amid growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, Saudi authorities early Saturday activated warnings in two provinces bordering the Red Sea
Saudi Civil Defense posted the warnings of “potential danger” for Yanbu and Jazan, before rescinding them a short while later
Yanbu is home to a major Red Sea port capable of shipping millions of barrels of oil daily. Jazan, close to the border with Yemen, has a large oil refinery
Saudi Civil Defense issued instructions for people to take shelter before saying later that “the danger has passed.”
The warnings did not specify the nature or
Satellite images provided by NASA’s fire detection system showed fires east of the refinery in Jazan early Saturday. The cause is not clear
The Houthis said Saturday that their armed forces would “announce qualitative and extensive military operations” later in the day
On Friday, Saudi Arabia carried out strikes against what it said were Houthi targets in Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah after a Saudi vessel was attacked in the Red Sea
In a statement, Saudi Arabia’s Coalition Joint Forces Command described the strikes as a “proportionate military response.”
“If the Houthi militia continues its hostile actions, they will be met with a response without leniency,” the statement continued
The Houthis’ political bureau described the attack as a dangerous escalation of tensions
“Saudi Arabia is attempting to compensate for its military and political failures by targeting vital infrastructure and the livelihoods of the Yemeni people,” it said
It’s Saturday morning in the Middle East and US allies Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait appear not to have reported any Iranian attacks during the night
The three countries, which all house US military bases, have borne the brunt of Tehran’s attacks over the past 13 days. They have often reported launches from Iran, interceptions, or impacts through statements on the social media accounts of state media or the authorities. As of Saturday morning local time there were no such updates
US Central Command made no announcement of new strikes against Iran on Friday Eastern Time after pummeling the country for 13 consecutive nights. It’s not clear if that was because CENTCOM did not take military action against Iran that day
CNN has reached out to CENTCOM for comment
Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, authorities issued multiple warnings of “potential danger” on Friday in Red Sea coastal areas Yanbu and Jazan province. They did not specify the nature or
A photo taken from the Yemeni coast southwest of the city of Taiz, shows boats floating at Bab al-Mandab Strait, in the Red Sea, on Friday.
A Saudi vessel sustained minor damage to its hull after an attack in the Red Sea on Friday, the official press agency of Saudi Arabia reported, citing the kingdom’s transport authority
The crew’s safety was confirmed and the vessel continued to its destination, the agency reported
Soon after the attack was reported, Houthi affiliate al-Masirah TV said that Saudi airstrikes hit the major port city of Hodeidah in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has not commented on the reported strikes
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have previously announced a blockade of Saudi shipping in the Red Sea
US Central Command did not announce it was launching strikes on Iran on Friday, after pummeling the country daily for almost two weeks
For the past 13 nights, CENTCOM has posted on X it was carrying out strikes on military targets in Iran. There was no such announcement in the hours of Friday Eastern Time. CENTCOM is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, which runs on Eastern Time
It is not clear if that was because CENTCOM did not take military action against Iran on Friday. CNN has reached out to CENTCOM for comment
As of Saturday morning local time, Iranian state media had not reported any strikes or explosions in the country overnight
This post has been updated with additional information
Military equipment targeted at an unknown location, during what the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iranian military targets, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on Thursday.
After pummeling Iran daily for almost two weeks, there was no announcement from US Central Command that it was launching strikes on the country on Friday. It is not clear if that was because the US did not take military action against Iran that day
In the region, tensions remain as US President Donald Trump said while Washington is actively negotiating with Tehran, it’s possible the military continues its bombing campaign or escalates it
No update from CENTCOM:For the past 13 nights, CENTCOM had posted on X it was striking military targets in Iran. There was no such announcement on Friday Eastern Time
Trump weighs in:The president said the war was “going extremely well” and that the US has “hit Iran very hard.” He added that he thinks Iran would “love to make a deal” but that he doesn’t “think they’re ready to.”
Alerts issued: Saudi Arabia issued multiple warnings of “potential danger” at major port Yanbu and Jazan province early Saturday local time. The alerts were lifted shortly after and the authorities did not specify the nature or Jazan province has a coastline on the same sea
Maritime tensions:US forces disabled a tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Friday after the crew attempted to get through the US naval blockade of Iran at least four times prior, a US military official told CNN. And in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia carried out strikes against what it said were Houthi targets in Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah after the militant group attacked another Saudi vessel
Netanyahu’s visit: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the US next week, Trump confirmed on Friday. The Israeli leader’s office earlier said in a statement Netanyahu will meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday
Tori B. Powell, Tal Shalev, Laura Sharman, Kareem El Damanhoury, Zachary Cohen, Eyad Kourdi, Mitchell McCluskey and Aditi Sangal contributed reporting
Trump jumps from jokes to weighing in on the war in Iran
1:04• Source:
CNN
Trump jumps from jokes to weighing in on the war in Iran
1:04
President Donald Trump on Friday weighed in on the war with Iran and developments in the region
Here’s a round-up of his comments:
“It’s all going extremely well. Don’t believe the fake news,” Trump said about the status of the war during remarks at the White House Correspondents’ dinner
He went on to say that the US has “hit Iran very hard” and that Tehran no longer has Navy and Air Force capabilities
“They have very few drones left, despite what you see,” he said
Trump also added that he thinks Iran would “love to make a deal” but that he doesn’t “think they’re ready to.”
“I don’t think it’s time yet, but I’m willing to listen,” the president said
When he spoke to reporters earlier Friday afternoon at the White House, Trump also stressed the US is actively negotiating with Iran, though he added that it’s possible the military continues its bombing campaign or escalates it. The president claimed “there’s a lot of” exit strategies still available
Those comments came after Trump met with top advisers and Cabinet officials Friday to discuss a potential escalation of the war, according to a
Iran seems to be getting “more serious” in ongoing talks, the president said. “I think they are being by far the most serious that we’ve seen. But that doesn’t mean we get there.”
Trump said he and his energy secretary hadn’t discussed it when asked if he’d authorized Chris Wright to sign the pact. Trump upended the long-negotiated deal after being blindsided by the Energy Department’s announcement this week, a
CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Logan Schiciano, Alejandra Jaramillo and Adam Cancryn contributed to the report
