US strikes Iran for 13th night, Houthis hit Saudi tankers as oil surges past $100
US Central Command said the 13th night of strikes aimed to degrade Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran launched drone attacks on US bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, and Houthi rebels struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
US strikes across Iran
The US launched its 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, ending shortly before 5 a.m. local time on Friday. US Central Command said the barrage aimed to "further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters." Strikes hit a Revolutionary Guard naval base in northern Iran, Qeshm Island (home to drone boats), Isfahan province (air base and nuclear site), Khuzestan, Fars, and targets near Ahvaz, Lorestan, and Bandar Abbas. Iranian state media reported four killed and nine injured overall, with four dead and five wounded in Ahvaz, two injured in Lorestan, and two in Bandar Abbas.
- Houthis strike two Saudi tankers in Bab el-Mandeb, oil jumps 7% to over $100
- US concludes 13th night of strikes on Iran
- Bahrain activates air sirens twice
- Explosions at US base in Irbil, Iraq
- Iran launches drone strikes on US targets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait
- Trump warns China and Russia against selling weapons to Iran
Iran retaliates with drone attacks
Iran's military launched drone strikes on US military targets in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait on Friday morning. Bahrain activated its air sirens twice, warning residents to shelter. Explosions were reported at a base hosting US forces in Irbil, Iraq, at around 9:30 a.m. local time, with at least seven blasts and four plumes of smoke observed. No immediate casualty figures were available. Iran told civilians to stay 500 metres away from locations with US troops.
Houthis widen war to Red Sea
Yemen's Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Thursday. The group claimed a naval blockade on Saudi ports and ships using the chokepoint, though they insisted only Saudi-linked trade was targeted. Ships transiting the area broadcast ownership, flag, and crew details to seek safe passage. The attacks forced several tankers to turn back, and shipping insurance costs doubled for some companies. Half of the 18 ships exiting Bab el-Mandeb on Thursday were crude oil carriers.
Only Saudi-linked trade is under blockade.
Oil prices surge past $100
The Houthi tanker strikes pushed oil prices up 7% to more than $100 per barrel for the first time since May. The Strait of Hormuz, where the US is trying to regain control, normally handles a fifth of global oil and gas. The Bab el-Mandeb strait carries about 12% of world trade and a quarter of container traffic. The combined disruption threatens a "double whammy" on energy markets, as one article noted.
- Strait of Hormuz (oil & gas)
- 20 %
- Bab el-Mandeb (all trade)
- 12 %
Diplomatic efforts falter
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visited Tehran on Thursday to call for peace, promising not to allow Iraqi territory to be used for attacks on Iran. However, the New York Times reported that Iran rejected a US ceasefire proposal delivered by al-Zaidi. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had claimed Iran was "begging" for a ceasefire, a statement Iraq later disputed. President Trump warned China and Russia against selling weapons to Iran, saying he believed assurances from Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin that they were not yet doing so.
Therefore, two major Countries that people speak of often in terms of Iran are, in my opinion, not participating. If they did, it would be very bad for them - Certainly not in their best interests.
