The US and Iran exchanged strikes early Saturday local time, days after issuing contradictory messages about the status of ceasefire discussions.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, fighting between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah has intensified despite a ceasefire agreed by the Israeli and Lebanese governments.
What has happened in the region:
Strait of Hormuz: The US intercepted a wave of missiles and drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf region. American forces also struck coastal surveillance radar sites in Iran after shooting down four attack drones, said US Central Command. Iran had fired several shots as a “warning” near the Strait of Hormuz, which “may have been related” to the repositioning of US naval vessels in the area, reported the semi-official Mehr news agency.
Gulf states: Sirens were activated early Saturday morning in Kuwait and Bahrain. Kuwait’s army said it was responding to missile and drone threats, while Bahrain told residents to take shelter.
Lebanon: More than 20 people were killed in strikes in the south of the country on Friday, according to a CNN tally of deaths reported in the state-run National News Agency.
Other headlines:
Top diplomat hits back: Iran’s foreign minister pushed back on remarks Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made in a CNN interview that Tehran is using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in its war with the US and Israel. Abbas Araghchi said: “Save Lebanon from your real foe, Mr. President,” in an apparent reference to Israel.
War timeline: US President Donald Trump said that he’s “moving very fast” with the Iran war, despite his initial stated timeline of four to six weeks. “I’m into three months, you know. Vietnam lasted 19 years. I’m into my third month,” he told NBC News.
Nuclear lab visit: Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with a team of experts at a national laboratory in Tennessee on Thursday, a US official said, as the US works toward nuclear negotiations with Iran. Scott Roecker, the vice president for the Nuclear Threat Initiative’s Nuclear Materials Security Program, explained that the lab has a history of removing highly enriched uranium.
CNN’s Laura Sharman, Eyad Kourdi, Kareem El Damanhoury, Aleena Fayaz, Mitchell McCluskey, Kit Maher, Jennifer Hansler and Zachary Cohen contributed reporting.