The United States has carried out a 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military positions, extending a campaign intended to reduce threats to commercial shipping and regain control of the Strait of Hormuz after a US-Iran ceasefire deal collapsed on 8 July.
US Central Command said the strikes were aimed at holding Iran accountable and diminishing threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping. It said its latest barrage was designed to ‘further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters’.
The strikes ended shortly before 5 a.m. local time Friday. Bahrain activated its sirens early Friday and told residents to shelter from detected fire, indicating the conflict’s spillover beyond Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz is central to the campaign. A fifth of the world’s oil and gas transited through the waterway in peacetime, making attacks on shipping a concern for global energy supplies.
Hegseth has put the rising cost of the Iran war at $37.5bn. The full extent of damage from the strikes, the precise targets across the 13 nights and the total number of casualties remain unclear.
Iranian state media reported that four people had been killed and nine injured in the bombardment. It also said a US missile attack on the outskirts of Ahvaz on the Karun River killed four people and wounded five.
State media reported that an attack in Lorestan province in Western Iran injured two people. Two more people were injured by explosions in the port city of Bandar Abbas.
The UN has warned that the situation is “out of control”. Tehran responded to US threats with an ‘eye for an eye’ warning.
President Donald Trump has threatened further action against Iran and Houthi militants over attacks on Saudi tankers. He said the US could destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant for every attack on shipping in Hormuz.
Yemen’s Houthis have attacked Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, saying the tankers had violated a naval blockade. The attacks add a second pressure point for regional shipping alongside the Strait of Hormuz.
Separately, the US said a Saudi nuclear deal depends on the kingdom recognising Israel. The brief did not give further details of the proposed deal or its connection to the military campaign.
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