The U.S. military concluded its thirteenth consecutive night of strikes on Iran on Thursday, a campaign that has claimed civilian lives and targeted critical infrastructure. These latest American attacks, lasting over two hours, hit Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities.
President Donald Trump vowed "major military punishment" for Iran and its Houthi allies following Yemeni fighters' strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. This action extended the conflict into a second major shipping chokepoint. Trump declared on social media that if such incidents recur, the U.S. would hold Iran responsible, asserting the Houthis act as a "Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran," and promised severe military retribution against both Iran and the Houthis. He also told Axios he was considering re-launching major combat operations in Iran, stating, "They haven't received enough pain yet."
Trump further claimed that "any and all damages done" to cargo ships would be paid for with "Iranian Money," referencing frozen Iranian assets held by the United States. He did not specify how this would be executed. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi condemned this stance on X, warning, "Seizing another nation's assets to pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent." He added on Friday that "Ensuing chaos will not be pretty or peaceful."
Escalating Aggression
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, articulated a clear defense doctrine: "eye for an eye." He stated that any aggression against Iran, including its infrastructure, would compel a powerful and decisive response. Araghchi emphasized that "Those who contribute to such aggression, whatever the kind of support, will also be considered as legitimate targets."
Iranian state media reported that a U.S. attack on Thursday killed two people at Shalamcheh, on Iran's border with Iraq, and wounded at least 11 others. Two U.S. missiles struck Bushehr, home to Iran's only civilian nuclear plant. State broadcaster IRIB confirmed that four people were killed and five injured in a U.S. missile attack on the Iranian city of Ahvaz. Tehran activated its air defenses amid these strikes.
Explosions and smoke were reported near Erbil airport in Iraq, which houses U.S. troops, leading to the activation of air defenses there. Similar explosions were documented in the islands of Qeshm, Larak, and Hengam, as well as the Iranian cities of Ahvaz and Bandar Abbas. Elsewhere, Jordan and Kuwait reported intercepting strikes on Thursday morning.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it targeted U.S. assets in both Jordan and Kuwait. Iran stated it attacked U.S. missile systems, weapons, and fuel storage sites in Jordan, alongside U.S. military posts in Kuwait. Jordan's army reported engaging four Iranian missiles and six drones in the past day, intercepting all but one missile, which landed in an uninhabited area.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards asserted they struck a U.S. electronic warfare unit at Al-Adiri base in Kuwait, causing unspecified casualties. This was in response to an overnight strike on Iran's Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq. The Iranian army announced that "destructive drones" targeted several U.S. facilities in Kuwait, including ammunition and logistics depots at Camp Doha, fuel tanks at the Ali al-Salem base, and an ammunition depot at Camp Arifjan.
Iranian military spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia, quoted by state television, affirmed Iran would continue retaliating as long as the U.S. persisted in attacking its infrastructure and coastal areas. The IRGC also stopped three oil tankers from transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, declaring, "The Strait of Hormuz is under our control... and any ship that is deceived by the U.S. and intends to pass without coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran will suffer the same fate."
International Law and Resistance
The Houthis reported conducting missile and drone strikes on two Saudi tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, in the Red Sea overnight. A maritime security source confirmed the Encelia sent a distress call after being struck by a missile near the Saudi port of Jizan. Saudi state news agency SPA reported a fire at the bow. UKMTO, the British naval security monitor, stated a tanker master reported being hit by an unknown projectile, causing a fire the crew was fighting. Saudi Arabia confirmed the Encelia incident.
This escalating disruption sent global oil prices surging, with Brent crude rising over 6% to pierce $100 a barrel for the first time since May. Shipping insurance costs through the southern Red Sea doubled for some companies. Tankers have begun changing course to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb, opting for longer, more expensive routes around Africa. The number of tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz fell to just one on Thursday, its lowest since May 7.
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28 of the same year. Tehran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. bases. U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have since killed thousands and displaced millions. The conflict is now well into its fifth month. The 1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war explicitly prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for civilians.
International law experts in the U.S. stated in April of the same year that such attacks could amount to war crimes, following previous threats made by Trump. Trump's threat that month to destroy Iran's entire civilization also drew widespread condemnation. In Washington, the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives backed legislation directing Trump to halt U.S. military action against Iran. However, the Senate voted hours later to block a separate, similar measure, and also blocked a resolution curbing Trump's Iran war powers.