Iran live updates: U.S. and Israel launch strikes, Trump dubs attack ‘Operation Epic Fury’

Airlines were forced to cancel thousands of flights to Middle East destinations including Tel Aviv, Doha, Dubai after airspace was closed following the attacks.

At least 14,000 departure and arrival flights have been affected, according to estimates from MS NOW.

Etihad Airways suspended all flights departing or flying into Abu Dhabi until Sunday. The company said it would contact affected passengers directly and will support those customers with rebooking and hotels “where necessary.”

“The situation remains fluid and further adjustments may be required. Etihad continues to work in close coordination with the relevant authorities and will resume normal operations as soon as conditions permit,” the company said. “The safety of Etihad’s guests and staff is our highest priority. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate our guests’ understanding.”

Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines, Air India, Lufthansa Group, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are among more names that have halted all or most of its service in the region, though for how long varies between the carriers.

Lufthansa Group said it’s suspended flights to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Tehran until March 7, while Delta’s Tel Aviv service will be canceled through at least Sunday.

Some flights to Doha and Dubai were rerouted back to their origin airports, or diverted to airports in Europe due to the security concerns.

—CJ Haddad and Leslie Josephs

The Strait of Hormuz isn’t only critical for oil — it’s also a key waterway for flows of liquefied natural gas.

About 20% of global LNG passes through the narrow waterway, according to the Energy Information Administration. While some of the oil that passes through the Strait can be diverted, it’s more complex for LNG. The waterway is the sole export route for Qatar and the UAE, which together make up about one fifth of global supply. More than half of the LNG passing through the Strait heads to China, India and South Korea, according to the EIA.

—Pippa Stevens

A former top Department of Homeland Security official said the attack on Iran “almost certainly will lead to attempts to target Trump and other top US officials,” and test the resources of DHS, whose funding appropriation remains blocked by congressional Democrats.

“This war will have a home front in the United States,” wrote Tom Warrick, a former DHS deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy, in a post on X from the Atlantic Council, where he is a nonresident senior fellow. Warrick was a government official during both Democratic and Republican administrations.

“The Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Capitol Police will all be tested in the coming weeks and can afford zero failures,” Warrick wrote.

“Iran will try every cyber trick it can mount, testing the Department of Homeland Security, the private sector, and US cyber defenses,” he wrote. “Iran tried in the past, unsuccessfully, to meddle in US elections, and would almost certainly fail to have any impact this time.”

The attack comes amid an ongoing partial government shutdown that began after Democrats blocked appropriations for DHS over concerns with its immigration enforcement tactics.

It is not immediately clear how the Iran strikes will influence ongoing negotiations over DHS funding, which lapsed Feb. 14.

But congressional Democrats hammered the White House for neglecting to seek congressional authorization before taking military action. That criticism could complicate the talks about resuming DHS funding.

And it could exacerbate already heightened national security concerns.

Some DHS subagencies like the Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency, could be forced to work without pay if the shutdown continues.

“Shutdowns have real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement earlier this week.

—Dan Mangan and Justin Papp

All energy traders are watching the Strait of Hormuz given about 20 million barrels per day of oil flows through the narrow waterway daily, but Kpler doesn’t expect a full, prolonged blockade.

Iran has never closed the Strait before — although it has been threatened – and analysts say it may not even be possible for a full-scale closure. But Iran can still disrupt vessel traffic in the waterway, all of which will drive up oil prices as things like shipping insurance costs rise.

“Temporary slowdowns, rerouting, or heightened maritime security checks are more plausible scenarios,” analysts at Kpler said in a note to clients. “A sustained blockade would significantly impact regional producers’ own export revenues, creating strong economic disincentives. Therefore, volatility risk is elevated, but structural and prolonged supply loss remains lower probability,” the firm added.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, hit its highest level since July on Friday amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

—Pippa Stevens

Trump monitored the attack overnight with members of his national security team from his residence at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X.

“The President spoke with [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu by phone. Prior to the attacks, Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio called all members of the gang of eight to provide congressional notification, and he was able to reach and brief seven of the eight members,” Leavitt wrote.

“The President and his national security team will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the day,” she said.

—Dan Mangan

Abu Dhabi residents received an emergency alert on their phones telling them to “seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building, and to steer away from windows, doors and open areas.”

The alert cited the “current situation” there, with “potential missile threats.”

Employees working at at least one U.S. company in Dubai, which is a sister emirate of Abu Dhabi, have been told to work online from home for now.

Schools are taking precautionary measures and are likely to move to online learning as the situation evolves.

—Dan Mangan

The Fairmont Hotel on Palm Street in Dubai was on fire, CNBC-TV18 reported.

It is not clear what caused the blaze at the Fairmont.

“Dubai authorities confirm that an incident occurred in a building in the Palm Jumeirah area,” Dubai’s media office said in a statement.

“Emergency response teams were deployed immediately and the site has been secured. Dubai Civil Defence has confirmed that the resulting fire is now under control,” the office said.

“Four individuals sustained injuries and have been transferred to medical facilities. The safety and wellbeing of residents and visitors remain the highest priority. Authorities continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard the public. The public is urged to remain calm, rely solely on verified information from official sources, and refrain from circulating videos or images on social media. Further updates will be provided as they become available.”

The 5-star hotel is popular with British tourists.

— Dan Mangan

The oil market is well supplied, so unless we see a strike on Iran’s Kharg Island export facility, it is unlikely there is a sustained jump in oil prices. 

For context, remember that ahead of the June strikes on Iran, oil surged about $10 per barrel but immediately retreated when it became clear oil facilities were not targeted. Sources in the oil markets and in Washington tell me Trump does not want to risk higher oil and gasoline prices by directly targeting Iranian oil. 

The focus right now is on OPEC’s planned Sunday “group of eight” meeting and whether the group will seek to calm any unease by adding more barrels to the oil market or, more likely, assuring the market that it stands ready to raise production or quotas if there is any meaningful disruption in supply.

—Brian Sullivan

Iran may threaten to ‘close’ the vital Strait of Hormuz, but it is not Iran’s decision to “close” the waterway.

Though Iran can mine, attack or otherwise harass ships, it is important to remember that Iran does not own or control the Strait. The U.S. Navy, along with Saudi and UAE assets, will work hard to ensure ships can safely transit the region.

Shipping costs have already gone up and will continue to go higher as tensions rise, so Iran will succeed in at least making it more expensive and dangerous to transit through the Strait.

—Brian Sullivan

World leaders reacted to U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran Saturday, with multiple emphasizing condemning the Iranian regime while urging restraint in the unprovoked attack.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. had “no role” in the strikes, but called the Iranian regime “utterly abhorrent” in a video address at 10 Downing Street.

“They have murdered thousands of their own people, brutally crushed dissent, and sought to destabilize the region,” Starmer said. “So, it is clear, they must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. That remains the primary aim of the United Kingdom and our allies, including the U.S..”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized Russia’s military links to the Iranian regime in a Saturday morning X post as the war between Russia and Ukraine entered its fifth year earlier this week.

“Although Ukrainians never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime chose to become Putin’s accomplice and supplied him with ‘shahed’ drones, and not only the drones themselves, but also the technologies to produce them,” he wrote.

“Other nations have also suffered from Iranian-backed terror. Therefore, it is fair to give the Iranian people a chance to rid themselves of a terrorist regime and to guarantee security for all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also offered support to the United States for “acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.”

“Despite diplomatic efforts, Iran has neither fully dismantled its nuclear program, halted all enrichment activities, nor ended its support for regional terrorist proxy groups. Canada stands with the Iranian people in their long and courageous struggle against Iran’s oppressive regime.”

—CJ Haddad

The United Nations Security Council said it will gather for an emergency meeting to discuss the attacks in Iran at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.

“I condemn today’s military escalation in the Middle East,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said in a statement. “The use of force by the United States and Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace and security.”

Guterres called for involved parties to restart negotiations.

President Trump criticized the UN in a speech before its General Assembly in September, and he has cut U.S. funding for the organization.

—Jordan Novet

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in a statement on Saturday said the “Senate should quickly return to session and reassert its constitutional duty by passing our resolution to enforce the War Powers Act.”

The Senate is due back late Monday. Even before Saturday’s operation, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., had planned to force a war powers resolution vote in the coming week, though exact timing is unknown. A war powers resolution in Congress would be intended to limit Trump’s authority to declare war without congressional approval.

Schumer in his statement also called for an “immediate all senators classified briefing” and “public testimony.”

“The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat,” Schumer said. “Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions, and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination, and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.”

—Justin Papp

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who is leading a war powers resolution to restrict Trump‘s military actions in Iran, called on Congress to reconvene on Monday — earlier than scheduled for next week — to take up his measure.

“Trump says his goal is to topple the Iranian regime, but the American people are tired of regime-change wars that cost us billions of dollars and risk our lives. we don’t want to be at war with a country of 90 million people in the Middle East,” Khanna said in a video posted to X on Saturday.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday announced he would compel a vote on the war powers resolution brought by Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Massie is a Republican who frequently clashes with Trump.

In a statement Saturday, Jeffries reiterated that commitment but did not provide timing.

The House is not due back in session until Wednesday.

The measure brought by Khanna and Massie would compel the administration to seek congressional approval before engaging in any further activity in Iran. 

“I am opposed to this War. This is not “America First.” When Congress reconvenes, I will work with @RepRoKhanna to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran,” Massie posted to X on Saturday. “The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”

—Justin Papp

Market watchers are paying close attention to the developing news in Iran, and some experts say coordinated strikes from the U.S. and Israel could carry heavier market consequences than more recent geopolitical conflicts.

Markets have been accustomed to absorbing recent geopolitical and economic shocks, including Trump’s announcement of a hike in U.S. tariffs on all imports to 15%, as well as the administration’s recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a similar weekend military action.

“This has definitely bigger ramifications than Venezuela,” said Florian Weidinger, CIO at Santa Lucia Asset Management. 

“Venezuela was … only really relevant for people who care about that particular heavy crude,” Weidinger told CNBC. The country’s heavy, sour crude can be challenging to extract.

“That’s why it’s a bigger risk. You would expect oil to tick up a bit more violently next week as a result of that,” he added.

About 13 million barrels per day of crude oil transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, roughly 31% of global seaborne crude flows, according to data from market intelligence firm Kpler.

In June, when Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites, equities sold off sharply at the open, then recovered once it became clear the strait was not disrupted.

“That is the pattern markets will reference on Monday,” said Kenneth Goh, director of private wealth management at UOB Kay Hian in Singapore. He adding that there could be a flight to safety with a strengthening of the U.S. dollar, Japanese yen, and a rush into gold. 

Read CNBC’s full article here.

— Lee Ying Shan

Trump, in a 2:30 a.m. ET video posted to his official Truth Social account, aired his rationale for ordering an attack on Iran.

The video message, in which Trump spoke from behind a podium wearing a white hat saying “USA,” comes after explosions were heard in multiple cities in the Middle East and Israel launched a daylight attack on Iran’s capital.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said in the video message.

The president called the Iranian regime the “no. one state sponsor of terror,” referring to allegations of the regime’s links to other terrorist attacks, including Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack in Israel.

Trump also emphasized Iran’s nuclear capabilities, saying the regime can never have a nuclear weapon. Negotiations on Iran’s program have been ongoing between officials in Geneva, Switzerland, this week.

“They rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore. Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could soon reach the American homeland.”

—CJ Haddad

Former Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had a public falling-out with Trump before leaving office midway through her term, in a post to X on Saturday questioned the president’s commitment to the “America first” messaging that was central to his reelection campaign.

“We said ‘No More Foreign Wars, No More Regime Change!’ We said it on rally stage after rally stage, speech after speech. Trump, [Vice President JD] Vance, basically the entire admin campaigned on it and promised to put America FIRST and Make America Great Again,” Greene wrote.

Greene was a staunch ally of Trump for most of her political career. But the pair clashed over the Trump administration’s handling of files related to the disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and foreign policy.

Greene announced she would resign in November and left office in early January.

“Now, America is going to be force fed and gas lighted all the ‘noble’ reasons the American ‘Peace’ President and Pro-Peace administration had to go to war once again this year, after being in power for only a year. Head-spinning, but maga,” Greene wrote.

—Justin Papp

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Saturday said “Iran is facing the severe consequences of its evil actions.”

“President Trump and the Administration have made every effort to pursue peaceful and diplomatic solutions in response to the Iranian regime‘s sustained nuclear ambitions and development, terrorism, and the murder of Americans — and even their own people,” Johnson posted to X.

Johnson noted in his post that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was on the Hill this week to brief House and Senate leaders on the evolving situation in Iran.

In a statement on Saturday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Iran a “bad actor” that “must be aggressively confronted for its human rights violations, nuclear ambitions, support of terrorism and the threat it poses to our allies like Israel and Jordan in the region.” But, like other Democrats, he questioned the constitutionality of launching such an attack without Congress’ blessing.

“The framers of the United States Constitution gave Congress the sole power to declare war as the branch of government closest to the American people,” Jeffries said.

“Donald Trump failed to seek Congressional authorization prior to striking Iran. Instead, the President’s decision to abandon diplomacy and launch a massive military attack has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions,” Jeffries continued.

—Justin Papp

While most Democrats who have weighed in are questioning the constitutionality of Trump’s attack on Iran, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Republicans in cheering it.

“Operation Epic Fury. President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel,” Fetterman, often a dissenting voice within the Democratic caucus, posted to X.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, posted on X that “the butcher’s bill has finally come due for the ayatollahs,” referring to the Supreme Leader of Iran.

“A nuclear-weapons program. Thousands of missiles. State sponsorship of terror. Iran has waged war against the U.S. for 47 years: the hostage crisis, the Beirut Marine barracks, Khobar Towers, roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan that killed or maimed thousands of American soldiers, the attempted assassination of President Trump,” Cotton wrote.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., in a statement on Saturday thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio “for providing updates on these issues throughout the week” and said he looked forward to the administration briefing all senators on the attack.

“Despite the dogged efforts of the president and his administration, the Iranian regime has refused the diplomatic off-ramps that would peacefully resolve these national security concerns. I commend President Trump for taking action to thwart these threats,” Thune said.

—Justin Papp

President Trump urged Iranians to “take over your government” in an eight-minute address following U.S. and Israeli combat operations in the region.

“To the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand,” he said, in a video posted to the White House’s social media early Saturday morning.

“Stay sheltered, don’t leave your home, it’s very dangerous outside, bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will probably be your only chance for generations.”

— CJ Haddad

Emirates, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, United Airlines and others suspended flights to Middle East destinations due to airspace closures and the attacks on Iran.

Some flights were forced to return to their origin airports or diverted, including a United flight from Newark to Tel Aviv that landed in Athens.

Airlines have been periodically halting flights to the region for years as conflicts and associated security concerns arise. Airspace closures there often force carriers to take longer routes to skirt the area, which requires them to use more fuel.

— Leslie Josephs

Democrats called for a briefing and questioned the constitutionality of another military action without congressional approval.

“The Constitution is clear: the decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress, and launching large-scale military operations — particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States — raises serious legal and constitutional concerns,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., ranking member on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement. 

“Congress must be fully briefed, and the administration must come forward with a clear legal justification, a defined end state, and a plan that avoids dragging the United States into yet another costly and unnecessary war,” Warner said.

Both the House and the Senate were expected to take up war powers resolutions in the coming week, which could have limited Trump’s ability to engage militarily in Iran. The issue does not break cleanly along partisan lines, and passage in either chamber was uncertain.

Trump drew similar complaints from Democrats in early January after a targeted operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, about which lawmakers said they were not briefed beforehand.

The Constitution grants Congress primary authority to declare war. The War Powers Resolution, passed in 1973 in response to the Vietnam War, limits the president’s ability to take military action unilaterally and requires the president to consult with Congress when troops are deployed.

“For months, I have raised hell about the fact that the American people want lower prices, not more war —especially wars that aren’t authorized by Congress, as required by the Constitution, and don’t have a clear objective,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who introduced an Iran war powers resolution, said in a statement. “These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives.”

— Justin Papp