begin quotes from NBC news
Live updates: 4 killed in U.S. refueling plane crash; Trump issues intense new Iran threat
As Tehran launched a new wave of attacks across the Gulf, the U.S. announced it was easing sanctions on Russian oil stranded at sea in a bid to stabilize markets.
What to know
- 4 KILLED IN REFUELING PLANE CRASH: Four of six crew members have been confirmed dead after a U.S. refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq, U.S. Central Command has said. It said the incident was not due to hostile or friendly fire and that rescue efforts were ongoing.
- TRUMP'S INTENSE NEW THREAT: President Donald Trump assailed Iran's leaders as “deranged scumbags” in an overnight social media post and urged people to “watch what happens” in the war today. Fierce strikes hit Tehran and beyond as America and Israel pressed their campaign.
- OIL DISRUPTION: As Iran launched a new wave of attacks across the Gulf, the U.S. announced it was easing sanctions on Russian oil stranded at sea in a bid to stabilize markets. Prices have soared back above $100 a barrel, though Trump boasted that the U.S. would “make a lot of money.”
- NEW LEADER SPEAKS: Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a fiery first public statement yesterday. He vowed to keep blocking the vital Strait of Hormuz trade route and attacking neighboring countries. The statement was read by a state television announcer; Khamenei did not appear in person.
- DEATH TOLL: Hundreds of people have been killed across the Middle East. In Iran, more than 1,200 people have been killed by Israeli and American strikes, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Ten U.S. service members have been killed and a seventh died of a medial issue. At least 570 people have been killed in Lebanon and 13 have died in Israel. Deaths have also been reported in Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
- INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS: Get exclusive analysis and insight into the Middle East conflict by becoming an NBC News subscriber.
4 killed in U.S. refueling aircraft crash over Iraq, U.S. Central Command says
Four of six crew members on board a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq yesterday have been confirmed dead, U.S. Central Command said this morning.
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling tanker aircraft in 2023. Hiro Komae / AP file
The plane went down at approximately 2 p.m. ET, it said in a post on X.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation,” it said. “However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
Rescue efforts continue, it said, and identities of the service members killed are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.
Large explosion reported in Tehran near area packed with demonstrators
A large explosion has hit the Iranian capital this morning, in the vicinity of a big rally attended by large crowds and senior regime figures, state media reported.
Enghelab Street in central Tehran was hit close to a rally marking Quds, or Jerusalem, Day demonstrations, multiple state news agencies reported. They shared videos in which grey smoke can be seen billowing in the distance as people chant and wave Iranian flags.
Earlier, Iranian state television aired footage showing thousands of people across the Islamic Republic taking part in the annual pro-Palestinian event.
Further details on the blast were not immediately available. It came after Israel issued a warning in Farsi that it would strike the area.
Iran’s wartime internet blackout enters its 14th day
Iran’s wartime internet blackout has reached the end of its second week, according to NetBlocks, a cybersecurity watchdog.
“As authentic voices are silenced and civilians are left without vital updates, a steady flow of regime-approved content fills the void.,” the group wrote in an X post today.
The country's internet was also shut down during the recent wave of unrest in the country that was suppressed by a deadly government crackdown.
Iran holds Quds Day demonstrations
Iranian state television aired footage this morning showing thousands of people across the Islamic Republic taking part in the annual Quds Day.
Quds is the Arabic name of Jerusalem.
Holding pictures depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and his late father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, demonstrators march during the annual Quds Day rally, in Tehran today. Vahid Salemi / AP
Demonstrators chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” while carrying Iranian flags in support of the military forces fighting against the U.S. and Israel.
People joined the rallies in Tehran despite ongoing American-Israeli strikes taking place during the commemoration.
Iran has been marking Quds Day on the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan since its 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Israel launches a new ‘wide-scale waves of strikes’ in Tehran
Israel says that its military has begun a new “wide-scale waves of strikes” in Tehran this morning.
Residents in the Iranian capital reported what felt like non-stop explosions overnight with homes shaking and windows rattled as the U.S. and Israel bombard the city and others across Iran.
Catch up on our latest coverage
- Analysis: Trump touted falling gas prices but now says ‘we make a lot of money’ as they go up
- Oil soars 10% as the ‘largest supply disruption’ in history worsens
- Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vows vengeance in fiery first statement
- For a surgeon treating Lebanon’s wounded children, their horrific injuries bring back memories from Gaza
- Trump warns Iranian World Cup team away from U.S. for ‘their own life and safety’
- Democrats ask Pentagon about Iran school strike and role of AI
- The White House compares deadly conflict to video games and movies in memeified videos to win support for Iran war
In Tehran, hope for change turns to panic: ‘They are turning the country into ruins’
A woman sits on a pile of rubble outside a residential building in Tehran on Thursday. Vahid Salemi / AP
Hoda was so furious over Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters in January that she wanted the country’s security forces to be attacked as payback. Then the bombs began to batter areas near her Tehran home.
“I was always against these people and thought it would be limited and finished fast,” she said of the U.S. and Israeli attacks. “I regret that and take it back. They are turning the country into ruins.”
Hoda, 40, like others interviewed for this article, asked that only her first name be used out of fear of arrest or harassment from security forces.
Since the war started, the U.S. and Israeli military have targeted multiple locations across the country, but it is in Tehran, a bustling, densely packed metropolis of 10 million people, where the strikes have been felt the most. As of Thursday, more than 1,200 people had been killed by Israeli and American strikes, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
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