The United States carried out a 13th consecutive night of military strikes against Iran on Thursday, while President Donald Trump said frozen Iranian assets would be used to compensate ships and cargo damaged in Gulf attacks, as the conflict widened across the region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the latest strikes began at 6:45 p.m. ET (2245 GMT) and targeted Iranian military sites to “hold Iran accountable and diminish threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping.” The operation lasted more than two hours, according to the U.S. military.
The strikes came amid mounting regional instability, with Kuwait reporting missile and drone attacks, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reporting a U.S. strike on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, and Yemen’s Houthi movement claiming attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
The latest strikes came as Trump told Axios in an interview that he is seriously considering restarting major combat operations in Iran, which could include larger strikes than those carried out during “Operaton Epic Fury,” the news outlet reported.
“They haven’t received enough pain yet,” Axios quoted Trump as saying, adding that Trump said he had not yet made a final decision.
U.S. military campaign continues
Iranian news agency Tasnim separately reported that a U.S. missile struck a site near the town of Suza on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The agency said authorities were assessing the extent of the incident and possible damage.
Trump threatens to use frozen Iranian assets
Trump said the United States would begin using frozen Iranian funds under U.S. control to pay for damage to ships, cargo and related assets caused by attacks in and around the Gulf.
“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 said in a post on Truth Social.
Separately, Axios reported that Trump said he was seriously considering restarting major combat operations in Iran, potentially involving larger strikes than those carried out during “Operation Epic Fury,” although he said no final decision had been made.
Kuwait intercepts missiles and drones
Kuwait said its air defence systems intercepted incoming Iranian missiles and drones on Thursday.
The country’s armed forces said air defence batteries were responding to what they described as “hostile missile and drone attacks following the wrongful Iranian aggression.”
Shipping concerns intensify
International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned the latest reported attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.
His comments followed claims by Yemen’s Houthi movement that it had attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers. A Saudi news agency later confirmed that one of the vessels caught fire after an assault while sailing in the Red Sea.
Dominguez also expressed concern over the risk of pollution from incidents affecting the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
France 24 reported that the Houthis’ threat to blockade the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, alongside disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, could pose a major challenge to global trade by threatening key shipping routes on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula.
UK pledges defence readiness
Britain said its armed forces were prepared to defend the country after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned over the use of British bases by U.S. bombers.
A government spokesperson said the United Kingdom maintained a layered air and missile defence system involving the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, operating alongside NATO allies.
U.S. Congress remains divided
The U.S. Senate voted 49-47 against advancing a Democratic-led resolution seeking to halt the Iran war unless Congress authorised continued military action.
The vote came hours after the House of Representatives approved a measure directing Trump to stop military operations against Iran unless congressional approval was obtained, highlighting divisions in Washington over the expanding conflict.
