Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were among the officials who met on Friday to discuss a path forward.
Follow updates on the war in the Middle East for Monday, Oct. 5, here. See earlier developments below.
Iran's foreign minister insisted on Sunday that there would be no military solution to the United States' war against the Islamic republic, with talks on ending the conflict apparently at an impasse.
A campaign of heavy U.S. bombardment failed to bring a decisive close to the war as it began, and Washington has dialed back military operations in recent weeks in favor of economic pressure.
The main point of contention remains Iran's continuing attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for Gulf oil and gas where a U.K. maritime agency reported on Sunday that another tanker had been struck by an unknown projectile.
"If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before, and we will defend ourselves with even more force," Abbas Araghchi said at a gathering of his counterparts.
"There is no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions," he continued, adding "only negotiations based on justice and fairness" could end the conflict.
The two sides agreed a memorandum of understanding in June that spelled out a framework for a permanent resolution, but Iranian attacks on vessels in the strait prompted the U.S. to resume military operations.
Iran has sought to impose its control over the vital shipping lane since the start of the war, striking vessels that try to transit without its authorization.
The U.S. has imposed a counterblockade of Iranian ports and has struck vessels it accuses of violating the countermeasure.
Middle East oil exports, excluding those from Iran, surpassed their pre-war levels last week, despite attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to data from the maritime tracking firm Kpler.
For the first time since the U.S. and Israel launched their offensive against Iran at the end of February, the weekly average of shipments rose for several days above the pre-conflict average of 18 million barrels per day.
Crude oil exports reached pre-war levels in September, with at least 16.5 million barrels leaving the region excluding Iran, Kpler said.
"Forty percent now bypass Hormuz, and most crude crossing the strait changes tankers offshore," Kpler said, adding that most of the oil flowed through Saudi and United Arab Emirates pipelines.
Those figures include flows via the Red Sea, a route increasingly used to bypass the blockade Iran is attempting to impose on the strait, through which around a fifth of the world's petroleum supplies crossed before the conflict.
Iran still claims control over the strait, and ships without its authorization risk coming under attack, but more and more are making it out, and alternative routes meant to bypass the waterway are operating at full capacity.
Despite the rebound, experts stressed that the situation is far from normal, and Iran is still being deprived of a large share of its own exports by a U.S. counterblockade of Iranian ports.
The U.S. Air Force has removed all of its bombers from a U.K. air base following a security incident that led to the arrest of five British men last month, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Sunday.
All U.S. bombers deployed to RAF Fairford have been returned to their home stations in the United States, the spokesperson said. The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the bombers' return.
"U.S. Air Force bombers routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements," the Pentagon spokesperson's statement said. "The Airmen that operate America's bomber force, including B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s, remain ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities – including through operations that launch and recover from the continental United States – anywhere, anytime."
On Sept. 27, five men, all British nationals in their 20s and from London, were arrested on suspicion of explosives and terror offenses close to the RAF Fairford air base, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran. The suspects have since been released on bail.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that President Trump was "well aware of the risks to energy flows" before launching the war in Iran earlier this year, but argued "the world cannot sustain a nuclear-armed Iran."
"He knew it was going to elevate energy prices in the short run, he said, 'I'm going to take a hit there, but I got to do the right thing,'" Wright said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
Americans have been feeling the financial squeeze of soaring gas and diesel prices in recent months. But the Trump administration has pointed to the potential threat a nuclear-armed Iran could pose, and how it could represent a long-term threat to energy prices. Wright defended the president on Sunday, arguing that Mr. Trump has taken a "strong stand that Iran, the world's greatest terrorist regime, cannot and will not have nuclear weapons."
Wright expressed confidence that prices will fall, pointing to increasing supplies coming out of the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. gasoline production, the summer driving season slowing, among other factors. Asked whether he expects prices to go down over the next four weeks — as Republicans eye a tough environment in the lead up to the midterm elections — Wright said, "absolutely."
Seven major global oil exporters agreed on Sunday to maintain steady production in November, as the price of benchmark Brent crude oil soars above $100 a barrel amid the Iran war.
The group of countries included representatives from Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman. They will meet again on Nov. 1 to review conditions in the oil market.
The Iran war, which began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28, has disrupted global oil supplies and driven prices higher.
The Group of Seven, consisting of the U.S., the U.K., France, Japan, Canada, Germany, and Italy, said Friday that they plan to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products in the coming weeks, starting with "substantial" amounts of diesel. Diesel prices recently hit record highs in the U.S., squeezing farmers, truckers and consumers who depend on the fuel.
The G7 promised a "frontloaded substantial release" of diesel within 20 days, before releasing the rest over four months.
Fighting between Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led military coalition in and around Yemen's Taiz province has killed more than 70 people in a single day, sources from both sides of the conflict told the French news agency AFP on Sunday. The agency previously reported that 80 combatants had been killed on Friday.
As Houthi militants surrounded the city of Taiz on Sunday, government sources told AFP that 34 of its troops were killed, including 20 on the edge of Taiz province in neighboring Lahj, while Houthi military sources said 39 of their fighters were killed in fighting across Taiz and in border areas with Lahj.
The city of Taiz remains under the control of government forces but has long been besieged from the north, east and west by Houthi fighters and remains one of the main fronts in Yemen's long-running civil war.
"They've achieved the military objective of isolating Taiz from Aden, even if they haven't fully taken control of it," Farea Al-Muslimi, research fellow at the Chatham House think-tank, told AFP.
But Taiz residents vowed to resist any Houthi advance.
"We will defeat and crush anyone who enters the city of Taiz. We will not abandon Taiz," resident Zakaria Al-Dhubhani said.
After President Trump rejected Tehran's proposed conditions to reopening the Strait of Hormuz — while leaving the door open to further talks or renewed military operations — Iranian officials said the U.S. response was being reviewed, and it was preparing one of its own.
"The Americans, through intermediaries, have also conveyed their views on this proposal, and these views are currently being examined inside the country through the relevant channels and procedures," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told reporters on Sunday, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA.
"Whenever the final position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready, appropriate steps will be taken accordingly," he said. "At the same time, the Islamic Republic of Iran is also preparing itself for any other possible scenario."
Meanwhile, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei characterized the latest U.S. counterproposal as being "in line with their previous proposals concerning nuclear issues."
"We have clearly indicated that we are focusing on the issue of the Strait of Hormuz," he said Sunday, adding that reopening the waterway required "an end to the disruptions to Iranian commercial maritime traffic and the lifting of sanctions."
The U.S. and Israel have said the war is necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, though the focus soon shifted to reopening the Strait of Hormuz after its closure sent shockwaves through world energy markets.
Iran's top diplomat insisted on Sunday that there would be no military solution to the war with the United States, with talks on ending the conflict apparently at an impasse.
"There is no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a gathering of foreign ambassadors, adding that "only negotiations based on justice and fairness" could end the conflict.
"If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before, and we will defend ourselves with even more force," Araghchi said.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has eased military operations in favor of economic pressure, but a main point of contention remains Iran's attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway serves as a vital conduit for Gulf oil and gas, and now has become the site of increasingly frequent strikes on vessels traveling through the area.
Iran has sought to impose its control over the vital shipping lane since the start of the war, striking vessels that attempt to transit without its authorization.
The U.S. has imposed its own counterblockade of Iranian ports, and has also struck vessels it accuses of violating it.
Prior to traveling to Vandalia, Ohio, to host a midterm campaign rally on Saturday, President Trump referenced "a decision" he's going to make regarding Iran while speaking to reporters at the White House.
"We have a decision that I'll make about Iran," said Mr. Trump. "Iran's been decimated, so the only question is, it'll either be the easy way or the hard way, or we'll have it the easy way, or the hard way."
His comments followed reports that senior Trump administration officials met Friday at Camp David to discuss the Iran war and escalating conflict between the Houthis and Saudis. Among the officials at that meeting was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who told reporters Saturday that the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is "ironclad," but said Mr. Trump has "all the options he needs on the table" if Iran continues to "play games" with the waterway.
As critical November midterm elections approach, state officials across the U.S. are focusing on rising gas and diesel prices tied to the Iran war, as affordability remains a leading concern for voters.
Ohio is among about one-third of states that have instituted fuel tax relief in some form or another, with its lawmakers on Wednesday passing a 90-day state gas tax holiday that earned broad bipartisan support.
A number of other states have taken action to ease fuel costs within the last week. Some have suspended their fuel taxes, while others have temporarily reduced theirs or adopted targeted relief measures for farmers, loggers and others who use a special type of diesel fuel.
Yemen will begin military operations to retake all territories currently held by Iran-backed Houthi fighters, the head of Yemen's presidential council, Rashad al-Alimi, announced Sunday.
"I announce today the start of military operations to retake the remaining territories of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory," Alimi said in a statement, marking the latest major escalation in the conflict between Yemen's internationally recognized and Saudi-backed government and the Houthis.
On Sunday, Alimi called on "the armed forces, security forces and all military formations to begin carrying out their assigned missions, in accordance with the approved plans, until the country is liberated from the grip of the Houthi terrorist militia."
The announcement followed a rapid offensive by the Houthis last month, which saw them seize large swaths of the Red Sea coastline.
Earlier Sunday, several security sources also told AFP that the group had effectively encircled Taiz after cutting the main supply route to the city, which is held by Yemen's government.
An unknown projectile struck a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center, a British maritime security agency. The projectile damaged the tanker's engine room, but its crew was safe, the agency said Sunday. It didn't specify when or exactly where the incident occurred.
No environmental impacts were reported in connection with the strike, the agency said, adding that authorities had opened an investigation into the incident. Vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz are advised to transit with caution.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday that the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is "ironclad" and that President Trump has "all the options he needs on the table" if Iran continues to "play games" with the strait.
"Iran wants to play games with things like the Strait of Hormuz. They don't control it, we do," Hegseth told reporters. "They have literally gotten nothing through. Our blockade has been ironclad and we're running almost at prewar levels every single night through that, you see that as far as the throughput."
He added: "So we feel like we're in a very strong position. Iran ought make the right choice. If they don't, the president is going to have all the options he needs on the table. But he is not going to let these things extend unnecessarily. He understands what the mission is and we can get it done when called upon."
Hegseth also said that Mr. Trump is "hellbent" on Iran not having a nuclear weapon.
"The message is very simple: Iran will never ever ever have a nuclear weapon. President Trump is hell-bent and determined to ensure that they do not; they will not," Hegseth said.
Yemen's Houthis claimed an attack on an oil facility near the Saudi capital on Saturday, where an Agence France-Presse journalist saw flames and smoke, and accused the Gulf kingdom of striking Sanaa dozens of times.
The foes have traded strikes since the Houthis seized all of Yemen's Red Sea coast and took control of the Bab al-Mandab strait in a lightning offensive last month.
Houthi-affiliated channel Al-Masirah TV reported that "Saudi enemy aircraft" hit Sanaa with 26 strikes, after earlier reporting "Saudi aggression" against the Yemeni capital, without providing details on the targets or casualties.
Two correspondents in Sanaa reported hearing loud explosions and seeing warplanes firing missiles at the city.
In neighboring Saudi Arabia, flames and smoke were seen rising on Saturday afternoon from an Aramco facility south of Riyadh, an AFP journalist said.
While the Saudi authorities are yet to comment, late on Saturday, the Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had targeted an oil facility near Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones, adding that they sparked fires at the targeted sites.
The AFP journalist reported seeing firefighters attempting to extinguish a blaze at Aramco's Riyadh refinery, located south of the capital, while ambulances and police vehicles were stationed near the facility.
Sources familiar with the situation confirmed to CBS News that the attack took place, but said the Saudis are still assessing who is responsible.
The White House and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday's attack.
CBS News reported last week that the Houthis had expanded attacks into Saudi Arabia, targeting oil storage facilities at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu, while Saudi officials said a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh was intercepted.
Meanwhile, the Houthis' Al-Masirah channel earlier on Saturday also reported missile strikes on the telecommunications network in Yemen's northwestern governorate of Saada, one of the group's strongholds.
It comes after the Houthis said that Saudi Arabia bombed the Yemeni capital itself on Thursday night for the first time since renewed fighting broke out between the two sides in July.
Senior administration officials convened at Camp David on Friday for hourslong discussions on the Iran war and the Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen, sources familiar confirmed to CBS News.
The attendees included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, the sources said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The news was first reported by Axios.
The Iran war has now dragged on for over seven months since it was launched in strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28. Meanwhile, the war between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has increased in intensity in recent months after a ceasefire that had lasted for four years.
Member countries have so far released 325 million barrels of oil and oil-derivative products from strategic reserves, from 400 million barrels promised in March, the International Energy Agency said Saturday.
The update came a day after G7 countries, in coordination with the IEA, agreed to immediately release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil to ease global energy supply concerns caused by fallout from the U.S.-Iran war.
The G7 did not say whether the 100 million barrels included the outstanding 75 million barrels from the March IEA commitment, or came on top of that.
President Trump has been pressuring allies to release diesel reserves to ease a spike in prices for the fuel, being felt in America and elsewhere.
Restricted diesel supplies are one of the consequences of the war in the Middle East, where Iran has been throttling ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, part of the fightback against Moscow's strikes, have also affected the market.
Flames and smoke were seen rising from a facility belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco south of the kingdom's capital Riyadh on Saturday, an AFP journalist said.
The circumstances remained unclear but in recent weeks Aramco, majority-owned by the Saudi state, has come under attack from the Iran-backed Houthi militia targeting the kingdom as part of the war in Yemen — where Riyadh is backing the internationally recognized government.
Aramco remains the flagship company of the Saudi economy and one of the largest firms in the world by market capitalization.