Live updates: US says it will strike 'deeper' into Iran as war spreads across region | CNN

Here's the latest

*• US to strike “deeper” into Iran: *The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the US will start “striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory,” and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned Americans that it’s “very early” in military operations against Tehran.

• Widening conflict: A US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, Hegseth said, and NATO air defense systems shot down an Iranian missile that was passing through the airspace of Iraq and Syria and toward Turkey’s airspace.

• Death toll rises: More than 1,000 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

• Scramble to evacuate: The US has closed embassies in three countries, reduced its regional diplomatic staffing and warned Americans to leave. The United Arab Emirates said it opened safe air corridors with its neighbors as countries rush to evacuate stranded nationals.

Drone that struck British base in Cyprus was not launched from Iran, UK confirms

The UK has confirmed that the one-way attack drone that struck a British military base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus earlier this week was not launched from Iran.

The British Ministry of Defence on Wednesday did not specify where the drone originated from, though it described it as “Shahed-like.” Shahed drones are designed by Iran.

Cyprus has determined that the drone came from Lebanon, deputy government spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou told Cyprus state broadcaster RIK on Tuesday, citing information from the National Guard and other services.

Trump "had a feeling, again, based on fact" that Iran was going to strike US assets

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump “had a feeling, again, based on fact” that Iran was going to strike US assets.

“The president was not going to be just another president on a very long list who sat back and stood by and passed the buck of this direct threat to the next administration,” Leavitt said.

After the first wave of strikes over the weekend, Trump cited an “imminent threat” to the US — claims that have since been contradicted in Pentagon briefings to Capitol Hill that stated** **Iran was not planning to strike US forces or bases in the Middle East unless Israel attacked Iran first.

White House claims Spain is cooperating on Iran — which Spain denies

The White House suggested Wednesday that Spain has agreed to cooperate with the US military’s mission against Iran after President Donald Trump on Tuesday lashed out at the country and threatened a trade embargo. But Spain is denying that account.

“With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear, and it’s my understanding, over the past several hours, they’ve agreed to cooperate with the US military,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said when pressed on how a potential embargo would comport with Spain’s membership in the European Union.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares in a local radio interview denied Leavitt’s account. “Our position has not changed,” Albares said.

CNN has reached out to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government.

Sánchez has emerged as Europe’s most vocal critic of Trump, refusing to involve Spain in the war at all, even after Trump’s trade threats.

“We’re not going to be complicit in something that’s bad for the world, nor contrary to our values and interests simply to avoid reprisals from someone,” Sánchez said in a televised address on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Leavitt said Wednesday that the US military “is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain” and that Trump “expects all Europe, all of our European allies, of course, to cooperate,” saying that the Iranian regime also posed a threat to European countries.

White House: US doesn't "target civilians," won't rule out that US bombed Iranian girls’ school

The White House didn’t rule out Wednesday that a strike on a girls’ elementary school in Southern Iran was carried out by US military personnel, but insisted that the US “does not target civilians.”

Pressed during Wednesday’s press briefing on if the US was behind the strike, which Iranian state media has said killed more than 100 people in Minab, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, “Not that we know of.” She did say the US was hitting the “rogue Iranian regime,” which she said “uses propaganda quite effectively, and unfortunately, many people in this room have fallen for that propaganda.”

Earlier Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the administration was “investigating that,” suggesting the review was ongoing.

“So, I would caution you from pointing the finger at the United States of America when it comes to targeting civilians, because that’s not something that these armed forces do,” Leavitt said.

White House says US has "more than enough" weapons to wage extended war with Iran

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US has “more than enough” weapons to wage an extended war with Iran, despite President Donald Trump’s earlier indications that supplies were not as extensive as he preferred.

Trump had earlier complained about the US’ weapons stocks, writing in a Truth Social post on Monday that “we have a good supply, but are not where we want to be.” Defense company executives are slated to meet at the White House on Friday, amid a push to accelerate their production.

But Leavitt said Trump was referencing the Biden administration’s decision to send US weapons to Ukraine “for free” to aid their war with Russia, rather than signaling any current supply concerns.

“The president was pointing out that, unfortunately, we had a very stupid and incompetent leader in this White House for four years who gave away many of our best weapons for nothing,” she said.

GOP senators reject push to force Trump to seek congressional approval for Iran war

Several Republican senators suggested they’re not ready to back the effort to bar President Trump from taking further military action in Iran without congressional approval, arguing the president is still working within his constitutional powers and lawmakers should continue to debate the merits of this conflict.

Sen. John Curtis told CNN “of course” he’s concerned about the war, though he notes the 1973 War Powers Resolution left a “wide open opportunity” for presidents to authorize military action for a limited period of time.

“I think that’s the ongoing debate is where is the balance between what we created in 1973 and what some of us feel today,” he said.

The Senate is expected to take a procedural vote on Wednesday on a measure to rein in Trump’s war powers in Iran. It is unclear whether it will advance, since it would need several GOP votes to do so.

*Sen. Thom Tillis *called Kaine’s resolution a “political exercise” to take up the Senate’s time with the vote, adding, “we need to have the discussion in the context of the reality of what’s had occurred over the last six days.”

“If this is going to be a persistent engagement, if it could involve some deployment of ground troops or an increase in and around the region, then I think it’s a discussion we should have about an authorization for the use of military force,” he told CNN.

Sen. Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, said Congress “certainly” has an “option” to vote to authorize the war, though he believes what has occurred in Iran is “well within the president’s authority,” citing other instances of presidents using Article Two powers.

US boots on the ground in Iran not part of the plan "at this time," White House says

Having US boots on the ground in Iran is “not part of the plan for this operation at this time,” the White House said Wednesday.

“They’re not part of the plan for this operation at this time, but I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States or the commander in chief, and he wisely does not do the same for himself,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Her comments come as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said earlier Wednesday the US will start “striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory,” and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned Americans that it’s “very early” in military operations against Tehran.

White House suggests regime change an ancillary result of war, not primary objective

The White House suggested regime change in Iran was an ancillary result of President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, and not its primary objective.

“The goals of this operation have been made very clear … and the president has said them in his speech when he launched this operation and released that video in the middle of the night to all of you and to the world,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

She listed destroying Iran’s Navy and missile and nuclear programs, and ensuring it can no longer support proxy groups, as the president’s primary objectives. She said eliminating Iranian leaders was welcome, but not among the four main goals.

“Obviously, as the president has said numerous times, do we want to see Iran being led by a rogue terrorist regime? No, of course, not,” she said. “So any day the United States of America is taking out a terrorist is a good day for our country and a good day for our people.”

Leavitt said Trump was “actively considering and discussing with his advisers” what the US role in Iran would be once the war ends, but that his primary focus now is on “ensuring the quick and effective success of the operation.”

Tehran resident describes quietly "hopeful" atmosphere in capital

A resident of the Iranian capital, Tehran, described a quiet yet hopeful atmosphere even as attacks across the Middle East have continued.

Businesses in Tehran, home to more than 8 million people, remain largely closed days after the death of the country’s longtime authoritarian leader.

“All the shops are closed; only grocery and food shops are open,” the resident said, adding that bakeries have remained open to serve the public.

Even though Iran faces continual bombardment by the United States and Israel, the Tehran resident described a palpable sense of hope on the streets.

“There is no sadness or worry on people’s faces. The atmosphere of sadness has been broken, and people are hopeful,” the source told CNN, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

“If the war lasts a long time, people may show dissatisfaction, but for now, people are not showing any dissatisfaction,” the resident said.

White House reiterates 4 objectives of military strikes on Iran

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the four-pronged objective for its military strikes on Iran, hewing closely to its messaging amid confusion from allies over the path to this weekend’s blitz.

According to Leavitt, who is briefing reporters at the White House now, the administration is seeking to:

• destroy the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile program
• “annihilate” Iran’s naval presence in the region
• dismantle Iran’s terrorist proxies, which have been responsible for attacks on US coalition forces and contributed to destabilization in the region
• prevent Iran from further pursuing a nuclear weapon

Leavitt’s comments come as the administration has struggled to vocalize its goals in Iran following the first strikes in the early hours of Saturday morning.

“It’s safe to say that thus far, Operation Epic Fury has been a resounding success,” Leavitt told reporters Wednesday.

Trump struck Iran based on "good feeling" it was planning to attack the US, White House says

President Donald Trump launched strikes on Iran based off a “good feeling” that the Iranian regime was planning to attack the US, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.

Leavitt called doing nothing an “unacceptable” option from Trump’s perspective, which she suggested fueled his decision to go to war. The exact timing of the strikes was then determined based on intelligence determining where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian leaders were gathered.

“That obviously had an impact on the timeline of the operation, but not quite the president’s decision in its entirety,” she said.

Israeli ministers and associates warned to turn off phone location services amid Iran cyber threat

Israeli ministers and their associates were warned to turn off their phone location services amid an elevated Iranian cyber threat, according to an Israeli official and an Israeli source familiar with the matter.

In a message sent Wednesday, the ministers were told to make sure no application or services can use GPS to identify location, including photos, Facebook and Google Maps. The message cautioned the ministers that Iranian intelligence organizations were cooperating in trying to locate senior Israeli leaders, according to the official.

In the past year, Israel has arrested several Israeli citizens and charged them with spying for Iran. Last month, an Israeli was arrested and charged with gathering intelligence on former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Shin Bet internal security agency said.

In February, the Shin Bet and the National Cyber Directorate said they had thwarted “hundreds” of attempts by Iranian intelligence to hack the phones of Israeli officials. In a statement, the agencies said they had observed a “significant increase” by Iran, in particular since the war between Israel and Iran in June, to hack into private Google accounts, communication applications and more.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Ministry of Health said in a statement that it “instructed all health organizations to increase their readiness in regards to cyber attacks.” The ministry said that health organizations should transition to the second-highest level of cyber readiness.

White House: We have to "wait and see" who Iran's next supreme leader is

The White House said Wednesday that they will have to “wait and see” who the next supreme leader of Iran will be, but acknowledged that the administration has seen reports that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s second son Mojtaba could take the position.

“We’ve seen those reports, as well, of course, and this is something that our intelligence agencies are closely monitoring and looking at. The truth is, we’ll have to wait and see,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Previously, the Islamic Republic has only replaced its supreme leader once since it swept to power nearly half a century ago. Khamenei, who succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, was killed without an officially declared heir.

CNN’s Christian Edwards contributed to this report.

Iran’s “number-one priority” was building nuclear weapon, Leavitt says

Iran “refused to say yes to peace, and their refusal made clear that their number-one priority was building a nuclear weapon with which to threaten the United States of America,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during her press briefing today.

“Iran rejected the path of peace because the terrorists in charge of this regime wanted to build nuclear weapons to use against Americans and our allies,” Leavitt asserted.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei had in the past repeatedly denied Iran was building a bomb and said weapons of mass destruction are forbidden under Islam.

Trump will attend dignified transfer for US troops killed during war with Iran

President Donald Trump plans to attend the dignified transfer of American service members killed as part of Iran’s retaliation to the US attack on the country.

“President Trump intends to attend the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand in grief alongside their families,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.

She said the Pentagon was still working to schedule the dignified transfer, which is the official movement of fallen US troops’ remains back to the United States at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Six US service members were killed Sunday in an Iranian strike on a makeshift operation center in Kuwait’s Shuaiba port.

The Pentagon has publicly identified four: Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, Capt. Cody Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens and Sgt. Declan Coady, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.

White House says war with Iran is reminder Trump "does not bluff"

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday pointed to President Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran as the most significant evidence yet that he “does not bluff.”

“The terrorists bet that President Trump would be like many of his predecessors, that he would just talk and he would refuse to enforce his clear red lines, but that has proven to be a catastrophic error in judgement,” she said. “When President Trump makes a threat — and I have reiterated that threat many times from this podium to all of you over the past year — President Trump does not bluff.”

Leavitt’s remarks came during a press briefing where she characterized the war as a “resounding success,” arguing that Trump had made the right call in abandoning diplomacy in favor of an attack “backed up by the mightiest warriors in the world.”

US will have "complete and total dominance" over Iranian airspace soon, White House says

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the United States will have “complete and total dominance” over Iranian airspace in the next few hours.

“We expect to have complete and total dominance over Iranian airspace in the coming hours, clearing the skies for our brave warriors to continue achieving these noble and long sought after objectives,” Leavitt said during today’s press briefing.

Leavitt’s comments come as Iran has continued its retaliatory strikes on neighbors in the Middle East, following the US-Israeli attacks that began the war this weekend.

US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine told reporters earlier that “Iran’s theater ballistic missile shots fired are down 86% from the first day of fighting, with a 23% decrease just in the last 24 hours.”

Kurdish forces need “guarantees” to work with CIA on fomenting uprising in Iran, expert says

Kurdish forces would need “serious commitment and guarantees” from the US if they are to work with the CIA on fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, an expert has told CNN.

Reacting to CNN reporting that the US was in discussions with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish leaders in Iraq about providing them with military support, Yerevan Saeed told CNN’s Becky Anderson the groups would need a tangible commitment from the Trump administration.

“Unless there will be serious commitment and guarantees, I don’t see how the Kurdish political parties or opposition groups are going to commit,” said Saeed, director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace at American University.

“The Kurdish-American relationship, unfortunately, has been good, but also it has seen a lot of setbacks,” he added, pointing to the recent decision by Washington to back the new Syrian government in its military campaign to push Kurdish-led SDF forces out of the northeast of the country. US envoy Tom Barrack said at the time the US-Kurdish alliance there had “largely expired.”

Watch CNN’s Clarissa Ward speak with a Kurdish official:

CNN’s Clarissa Ward spoke with a senior Kurdish Regional Government official in Erbil, Iraq, who said they are '"really frightened" about possible retaliatory strikes by Tehran, if their territory is used as a launch pad for a potential ground offensive into Western Iran.

CNN

18-hour traffic jam in Lebanon as thousands are displaced

After Israel ordered Lebanese in the country’s south to immediately leave and move north of the Litani River, residents who spoke to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) described a miserable journey toward Beirut.

“From the south to Beirut, the road was very difficult especially for children, the elderly women and men and for everyone,” Haniya, who was displaced from her home in the south, told UNHCR on Tuesday. “We stayed 18 hours on the road because of the traffic. It was very tiring.”

According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, at least 83,847 people have been displaced so far. Footage released by UNHCR shows cars packed tight on the highways, with some people walking along the side of the road, belongings in hand.

CNN’s Ben Wedeman contributed to this report.

A look at the death toll in the Middle East after 5 days of conflict

More than 1,000 people have been killed in Iran since the US and Israel launched its strikes on the country this weekend, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Dozens have also been killed in Tehran’s retaliatory strikes in the same time period, according to local authorities.

As the conflict continues, here’s what we know about the death toll in the region since Saturday:

- Iran:At least 1,097 civilians had been killed in Iran as of yesterday afternoon ET, HRANA reported. Among the dead are168 childrenand 14 teachers who were killed in a US-Israeli attack on a girls’ elementary school on Saturday, according to Iranian state media. - Lebanon:At least 74 people have been killed in Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon, the country’s health ministry reported on Wednesday. Three of these peoplewere paramedics, according to the head of the World Health Organization. - Kuwait:At least 10 people have been killed as a result of Iranian attacks on Kuwait, includingsix US service members, according to CENTCOM, and two Kuwaiti service members, the country’s army saidon Tuesday. - Israel:At least10 peoplehave been killed by strikes in Israel since Saturday, according to Israel’s emergency services Magen David Adom. - Iraq:At least four Popular Mobilization Force soldiers were killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on Diyala, Iraq, the militia’s media directoratesaid Sunday. - UAE:At least three peoplehave been killedby Iranian drones in the United Arab Emirates, according to the country’s defense ministry. Those killed were nationals of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, the ministry said. - Bahrain:One personwas killedafter debris from an intercepted missile sparked a fire on a “foreign vessel” in Bahrain’s Salman Industrial City, Bahraini state media said Monday.

CNN’s Helen Regan, Ben Wedeman, Sana Noor Haq, Haley Britzky, Ruba Alhenawi, Lauren Izso, Rhea Mogul, Aqeel Najim, Michelle Velez, Lauren Kent and Antoinette Radford contributed to this reporting.