Israel exchanged further attacks overnight with Iran continuing its assault on Lebanon, escalating a conflict that has already left hundreds dead, prompting Washington to warn Americans to leave much of the region and threatening to spark a global energy crisis.
The Iranian government retaliated with operations targeting U.S. military bases and embassies in a number of Middle Eastern countries, as well as tourist infrastructure such as refineries, airports and hotels.
As the US and Israel’s war against Iran intensifies, here’s what you need to know.
Israeli attacks continue: Israel launched simultaneous attacks on Tehran and Beirut on Tuesday morning, targeting both Iranian military facilities and Hezbollah. Israeli forces have also captured more locations in southern Lebanon and carried out attacks on suspected Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon.
US closes two embassies amid attack on Iran: The US embassy in Riyadh was closed on Tuesday after an attack by two suspected Iranian drones. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait also announced it would be closed until further notice. Elsewhere in the region, the US State Department ordered non-emergency US government personnel and their families to leave Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, citing security concerns.
Iran’s response: A CNN team in Qatar heard loud noises throughout the night and saw objects falling from the sky. Officials said the Kuwaiti military responded to “missiles and drones” detected in its airspace, warning sirens sounded in Bahrain and Iranian missiles were detected in Israeli airspace.
Americans encouraged to leave Middle East: The U.S. State Department has urged Americans to take advantage of available business travel and depart from countries across the Middle East, even though much of the region’s airspace is closed and most flights are cancelled.
Iran’s death toll rises: More than 700 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, according to the US-based Human Rights Defenders News Agency. One Tehran resident said he endured “heavy shelling” on Monday night. “It feels like an onslaught,” said a 36-year-old man, who CNN is not naming.
‘Big wave’ of US attacks on Iran coming: US President Donald Trump warned on Monday that the US was ‘not yet launching a severe attack’, but a senior US official told CNN on Monday night that the US was preparing for a ‘significant increase’ in attacks in the next 24 hours.
Damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities: The United Nations nuclear watchdog on Tuesday confirmed damage to a fuel enrichment plant at one of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear facilities following attacks by the United States and Israel.
Why did America and Israel attack?
The White House offers conflicting rationales for war: Three days after the U.S. and Israel first launched strikes against Iran, the Trump administration is still offering a variety of explanations, sometimes exaggerated or contradicting U.S. intelligence, as senior officials scramble to justify the alleged first strike.
What was the threat posed by Iran? In other words, the Trump administration has not yet clearly defined it. After the first wave of airstrikes, Trump cited an “imminent threat” to the United States, but contradicted his assertion at a Pentagon briefing on Capitol Hill that Iran was not planning an attack unless it struck first.
What about the nuclear threat? Sources told CNN that before the attack on Iran, President Trump and his administration officials were exaggerating how close Iran was to developing a nuclear weapon. President Trump has repeatedly said that Iran’s nuclear program was “disappeared” following last summer’s U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but in recent weeks administration officials have suggested, without providing evidence, that Iran poses an imminent nuclear threat. Iran has always maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful.
What about a change of government? That’s not a clear goal either. One of President Trump’s end results is for Iran’s “national freedom” and for Iranians to “take back their homeland.” At the same time, he said a “perfect scenario” would be a similar outcome to Venezuela, where U.S. forces overran President Nicolas Maduro but left much of his government behind. And Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth insisted on Monday that “this is not a so-called regime change war.”
Death of Ali Khamenei: Iran’s supreme leader was killed along with several other senior military officials on Saturday, dealing a blow to the Islamic regime but still allowing it to launch attacks across the region.
A three-member leadership council currently holds power until a new supreme leader is appointed. That includes the country’s moderate president, Massoud Pezeshkian. hardline attorney general Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei; and senior cleric Alireza Alafi.
When will a new supreme leader be appointed? It is not yet clear, but Iranian officials have suggested the process could be very quick. The country’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragushi said a new supreme leader could be chosen within days.
Oil prices continued to rise on Tuesday, hitting their highest since June 2025. Brent futures, the global oil benchmark, rose another 6% to $82 a barrel, according to FactSet data. Europe’s benchmark natural gas futures rose another 34% to around 59 euros ($68) per megawatt hour as Qatar’s biggest gas producer halted production after Iran targeted one of the country’s energy facilities.
Iran wields power in Strait of Hormuz: An adviser to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander warned on Monday that ships passing through the strategically important sea route would be targeted.
About one-fifth of global trade in LNG and daily oil production passes through the narrow waters off Iran’s southern coast, leaving few other options for transporting these cargoes to global markets.
European and Asian stocks fell on Tuesday, reflecting growing market anxiety.
Thousands of tourists have been stranded due to aviation disruption in the Middle East, with much of the region’s airspace closed and airlines forced to cancel flights.
Some airlines resumed limited operations on Monday night. Emirates and Fly Dubai have resumed some flights, but all Etihad Airways commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi will remain suspended until at least Tuesday afternoon, and Qatar Airways flights will remain suspended until at least Wednesday morning.
Other Western countries have also advised their citizens to avoid the area. Canada urged tourists to leave the UAE as soon as they can board a plane and advised them to avoid travel to much of the Gulf region. The UK has told British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and the UAE to register to receive updates directly from the Foreign Office.
