As the U.S.-Israel war on Iran enters its fourth week, the Trump administration has given Iran interim permission to sell about 140 million barrels of crude oil in a bid to calm volatile markets.
Israel said this week there would be a “significant increase” in U.S. and Israeli attacks. This comes after US President Donald Trump said the US was considering “scaling back” its military efforts. A senior Iranian government official told CNN that the Iranian government does not believe the claims.
U.S. embassies remain under threat in the Middle East, and some Gulf states continue to intercept missiles and drones. Iran unsuccessfully targeted a joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean with a ballistic missile, sources told CNN. Israel launched new attacks on “regime targets” in Beirut and Tehran on Saturday.
The human toll of the conflict continues to rise, with fighting continuing on multiple fronts in the region, with heavy casualties and displacement in Iran and Lebanon.
What are the main headings?
Sanctions lifted: The Trump administration granted interim permission Friday night to allow Iran to sell 140 million barrels of oil in tankers. That’s enough to meet global demand for about a day and a half, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. U.S. officials say the decision has little economic benefit for Iran.
Military efforts: Israel’s defense minister said this morning that this week’s attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel will be “significantly intensified.” This comes after President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Friday that he was considering “scaling back” military activity in the Middle East. A senior Iranian government official told CNN there was no “reduction in military activity” in the region. Earlier that Friday, President Trump told reporters he believed the United States had “won” the war with Iran. But thousands more U.S. Marines and sailors are heading to the Middle East.
Strait of Hormuz: Bahrain has joined EU member states, Japan and Canada as the first regional country to signal its intention to cooperate in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported on Friday. The United Arab Emirates and Australia are the latest countries to join the statement, which now has 22 countries. Meanwhile, U.S. officials are working furiously to avoid a possible months-long blockade of the strait, government and intelligence officials told CNN.
Rising casualties: More than 18,000 civilians have been injured in Iran since the war began, and more than 1,330 people have died, including at least 200 children, according to the latest figures from the Iranian Red Crescent Society and Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. More than 1,000 people have lost their lives in Lebanon and more than 1 million people have been displaced, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Indian Ocean Bomber Base: Iran fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile at Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-British military base, on Friday morning local time, according to U.S. officials. The missiles were fired at a key airfield for the U.S. heavy bomber fleet in the Indian Ocean, about 3,370 miles from Iran’s coast, but none of them hit the base, officials said. Britain condemned the attack as a “reckless attack by Iran.”
Iraq: According to state broadcaster IRIB, Iran claimed to have attacked the US embassy logistics base in Baghdad three times on Friday. The embassy has been hit by multiple rocket and drone attacks since the war began.
UAE warns: Tehran has warned the United Arab Emirates that it will attack the port city of Ras al-Khaimah if Iranian islands in the Gulf continue to come under attack.
More from the Gulf: Countries including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continued to intercept missile and drone attacks overnight into Saturday, local defense officials said.
Israel and Lebanon: The Israeli military announced early Saturday that Iran had launched more missiles into its territory. It also reported that it attacked Iranian-backed Hezbollah targets in Beirut throughout the night.
Russian support: Russian President Vladimir Putin told Iran that Moscow remains “a loyal friend and reliable partner of Iran even in these difficult times.” CNN reported earlier this month that Russia is assisting Iran with advanced drone tactics to attack targets in the United States and Gulf states in the Middle East, according to Western intelligence officials.
Natanz nuclear facility targeted: Iranian state media Tasnim said the US and Israel attacked a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz on Saturday, adding that no radioactive material had leaked and residents near the site were not at risk. The Israeli military told CNN it was “not aware” of any attack on the facility.
Zachary Cohen and Elise Hammond contributed to this report.
