Clarissa Ward

Journalists are not legitimate targets… no matter who they work for…Three Lebanese journalists killed in Israeli strike, say broadcasters bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

"The weapons that could be diverted away from Ukraine include air defense interceptor missiles"

Told @FoxNews that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf considered relatively moderate in the current Iranian context, but he’s not the one calling the shots. He’s not the leader himself. He may serve as a channel to Iran’s leadership, but not as the ultimate authority. If you want to speak to someone in Iran, he’s probably the point of contact.l, But he’s not deciding anything. Even if he wants to do something, he has to get approval from the IRGC and the supreme leadership. The system today is more radicalized and decentralized. It’s not one person. It’s multiple actors you need to coordinate with, which makes it much harder to negotiate. I’m not saying it’s impossible, because this is still the Middle East, but it will be very difficult to reach an agreement with them, let alone one that reflects the same demands the U.S. was making before the war. There is no way they are going to agree to that. @EfratLachter foxnews.com/world/meet-ira…

New: Iran has been laying traps and moving additional military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in recent weeks in preparation for a possible US operation to take control of the island, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue. Gulf allies are warning of significant US casualties if US moves fwd with an operation there & advising against it. with @ZcohenCNN @kylieatwood @talshalev1 cnn.com/2026/03/25/pol…

NEW: There has been outreach between the United States and Iran, initiated by Washington, in recent days but nothing that reached the level of full on negotiations, a senior Iranian source tells me. Messages have been received through various intermediaries to scope out whether an agreement to end the war, which is now in its fourth week, could be reached. The proposals being looked at are aimed not merely at achieving a ceasefire, but a concrete agreement to end the conflict between the US and Iran, the source added without going into further detail. The source refused to comment on US President Trump‘s public statements on the outreach and emphasized Iran's position has been always clear that Iran is ready to consider any viable proposal to deceively put an end to this war of choice imposed on Iran. The source said Iran is not asking for a meeting or direct talks with the United States but is willing to listen if a plan for a sustainable deal comes within reach that would preserve the national interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran. While Iran is ready to provide all the necessary guarantees that it will never develop nuclear weapons but is entitled to peaceful use of nuclear technology. The source stated that any propsal has to also include termination of all sanctions imposed on the Iranian people. @cnni @CNN

A question not being asked enough:

New: The Pentagon & National Security Council significantly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to US military strikes while planning the ongoing operation, sources to me, @Phil_Mattingly, @kylieatwood & @Kevinliptakcnn. Top Trump officials acknowledged to lawmakers during recent classified briefings that they did not plan for the possibility of Iran closing the strait in response to strikes, per 3 sources. cnn.com/2026/03/12/pol…

Just departed Iran after visas expired. Has been an interesting trip in difficult times. Hope to return soon. Big thank you to @claudiaotto who made everything happen and all our colleagues @CNN

Israel says this is about regime change. US says this is about military objectives. They are conducting the war together. Someone’s objectives likely aren’t going to be met.

Anti aircraft fire, jets overhead and an explosion while we were filming at a site that had been hit the day before in Eastern Tehran. @CNN @cnni

A senior Iranian official warns that the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has entered a “new phase,” dismissing suggestions that the war could end soon and signaling possible retaliation targeting energy infrastructure across the region. The official told me in a message Sunday that there was no prospect for an immediate end to the conflict despite some claims suggesting otherwise. “The war has entered a new phase and the attack on Iran’s oil and fuel depots will definitely be met with regional retaliation,” the official said. The official added that Iran could target energy infrastructure in response in the coming days, raising concerns about potential disruptions to regional oil and gas facilities. “Iran will not give up control of the Strait of Hormuz until it achieves its desired results,” the official said, referring to the critical shipping route through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes. The official also said that Tehran would determine when the conflict ends. @CNN @cnni

As expected, Mojtaba Khamenei has been named the Islamic Republc of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father. This is what the father of the 1979 revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, had to say about hereditary succession.

@Alfoneh on Iran’s Wartime Leader, Ali Larijani foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/06/ira…

@farnazfassihi profile of Iran’s new enigmatic Supreme Leader. nytimes.com/2026/03/08/wor…

On the extraordinary Paul Conroy, by @lindseyhilsum thetimes.com/uk/media/artic…

It is raining oil in Tehran this morning after major airstrikes on oil facilities in the South and West of the Iranian capital. @CNN @cnni

Looks like pretty big damage after a sustained aerial attack in Tehran the past hour or so. Several large fires burning. We heard jets overhead and big thuds for an extended period of time. @CNN @cnni

Plume of smoke over Tehran after this morning‘s wave of airstrikes. @CNN @cnni

Everyone is watching to see whether Kurdish fighters will launch a ground offensive into western Iran. So, who are the Kurds? Read more: cnn.it/3OONlCd

“There’s no replacement for being on the ground,” CNN’s Clarissa Ward says about covering Iran from afar. Read her full @washingtonpost interview here: s2.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw/?track…