The United States military said it had “successfully completed” new strikes against Iran in the early hours of Friday, marking the 13th consecutive night of attacks as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate.
The latest Iran-US strikes come as the Iran-aligned Houthi movement opened a new front in the conflict, launching attacks in the Red Sea against Saudi oil tankers and pushing oil prices above $100 per barrel.
Energy supply fears grow
The renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran, which resumed on 7 July, have raised fears of prolonged disruption to hydrocarbon exports from the Middle East.
Concerns have intensified after Iran restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while the Houthis imposed a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter.
Oil prices, which rose sharply on Thursday, remained close to the $100 mark during early Asian trading on Friday. The level was crossed for the first time since May, despite prices previously returning to pre-war levels following an initial US-Iran agreement in mid-June.
US targets Iranian military facilities
The US military said overnight Thursday into Friday that it had targeted Iranian “military command centres, drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance positions and naval capabilities”.
According to Washington, the strikes were aimed at reducing threats posed by Iran to commercial shipping and maritime workers travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, which the US said remains open.
Iranian media reported explosions in several cities across southern Iran, as well as on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump promises compensation from Iranian assets
US President Donald Trump said that Iranian funds held or controlled by the United States would be used to cover damages suffered by ships attacked in the Gulf.
“From now on, all damages caused to ships, their cargoes, or anything related to them will be paid for with Iranian money held by or under the control of the United States,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without providing details on how the mechanism would operate.
UN warns situation could spiral
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the situation in the Middle East was moving towards being “out of control” and approaching the “unthinkable” during a UN Security Council meeting.
Iran’s military, meanwhile, said it would continue retaliatory actions as long as US attacks continued.
Kuwait reported Iranian missile and drone attacks, while Jordan’s military said 10 missiles and drones had been launched towards the kingdom within 24 hours, with nine intercepted.
Trump also warned Iran and the Houthis of large-scale “military punishment”.
Houthi attacks widen conflict
The dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s consumed hydrocarbons passed before the war, has become a central point of the conflict.
Iran has sought to impose a transit fee despite US opposition and has restricted the routes of vessels allowed to pass through the strait.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had stopped three oil tankers attempting to cross the waterway.
In response, the US imposed a naval blockade on Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that over nine days it had forced 12 commercial vessels to change course and immobilised another vessel to prevent ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Gulf.
Meanwhile, the Houthis announced attacks against two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Iran-aligned group has threatened shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and has become even more strategically important following restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz.
A Saudi official source confirmed that a tanker owned by a Saudi company was targeted, causing a fire onboard.
Also read: Saudis must recognise Israel for nuclear deal, says Trump
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