Bahrain activated its warning sirens early Friday, telling residents to seek shelter after the US military announced the conclusion of its 13th consecutive night of strikes against Iran.
The Gulf region has been repeatedly targeted in the past week as the United States and Iran exchange escalating attacks that originated from a dispute over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Thursday, Iran‑backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed they had hit two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, a development that could broaden the conflict while global oil prices surpassed $100 a barrel.
Blasts were also reported on Iran’s Qeshm Island—home to naval assets such as drone boats capable of striking vessels in the strait—and near the northwest towns of Andimeshk, Omidiyeh and Firuzabad. A US missile strike near Ahvaz on the Karun River killed four people and wounded five, according to Iranian state media.
US Central Command said the latest assault was intended “to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters” as the US seeks to reassert control over the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for roughly one‑fifth of global oil and gas trade in peacetime. The strikes ended shortly before 5 a.m. local time on Friday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al‑Zaidi, who maintains close ties to both Washington and Tehran, visited Tehran on Thursday to urge dialogue and pledged that Iraqi territory would not be used for attacks against Iran. Al‑Zaidi met with President Donald Trump in Washington earlier this month.
Separately, the Houthis have threatened to shut down another critical maritime passage. The Bab el‑Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula serves as a vital choke point, handling about 12 % of world trade—including a quarter of global container traffic—between Europe and Asia via the Suez Canal.
Houthi assaults jeopardize oil shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on the Red Sea, creating a “double whammy” alongside the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Saudi Arabia has rerouted millions of barrels of oil daily to Yanbu via an overland pipeline as Gulf shipping lanes remain congested.
President Trump warned of “major military punishment” against the Houthis should their attacks on vessels continue.
Economic repercussions have intensified as rhetoric escalates. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose more than 6 % to around $100 a barrel—the highest level since May, before a preliminary peace agreement that subsequently collapsed.
Iran asserts its right to regulate traffic and impose fees in the Strait of Hormuz, a shift from its previous policy of open, toll‑free access. Tehran has targeted vessels using a route overseen by US forces that lies outside its control.
On social media Thursday, Trump announced that sanctioned Iranian funds held by the United States would cover repairs to vessels damaged in the conflict. “Any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls,” Trump wrote.
He did not specify the legal mechanisms for accessing the funds, but described the move as “the fair and equitable thing to do.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rebutted the suggestion on X, warning that normalizing asset confiscation would jeopardize the security of all nations and lead to chaotic consequences.
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