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The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints, through which nearly a fifth of global crude oil and a substantial share of liquefied natural gas exports pass. (Reuters/File image)As the US continues to strike Iran, its Secretary of State Marco Rubio today said Tehran keeps reneging on deals and hence suffers tremendous losses. “These people make deals and then they break it almost immediately or they decide, ‘oh, let’s change the deal’. That’s not how deals work,” he said.
The US military carried out strikes on Iran for the 12th consecutive night, with Tehran’s media reporting explosions in the cities of Bushehr, Ahvaz and Sirik. Two people were killed and 11 injured after the US attacked the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq, Al Jazeera reported. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers — Encelia and Layla — in the Red Sea. They used cruise and ballistic missiles and drones for the attack, causing huge balls of fire on board those ships.
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Both the US and Iran are increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure now after US President Donald Trump Wednesday warned of destroying a bridge or power plant each time Iran attacks a ship on Hormuz. The US Central Command said the fresh round of strikes was launched to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters”, as the Americans aim at regaining control over the Strait of Hormuz and restoring global shipping through the channel.
Here’s what’s happening in West Asia
- The US has attacked Iran for 12 nights straight; explosions reported in Bushehr, Ahvaz and Sirik.
- Two people have been killed after the US’s attack at the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq.
- Oil prices continue to gain, with Brent crude futures rising $1.93 as of 00:11 GMT, to reach $96 a barrel, marking their highest level since June 8. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude went up $1.44, to trade at $88.27.
- Before attending the transfer ceremony for four US soldiers killed on duty in the war with Iran, Trump said Iran will “pay a big price”
- On Wednesday, Trump said: “From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT.”
- Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi replied, saying Tehran’s defence doctrine is an “eye for an eye”, after Trump’s warning.
Live Updates
US launches 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran
The US military says its forces have launched another night of strikes against Iranian military targets to diminish threats to commercial shipping from the Revolutionary Guard.
US Central Command said that the strikes began at 6:45pm Eastern Time (22:45 GMT) on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of operations aimed at holding Tehran “accountable”.
Senior Iranian official responds to Rubio, threatens to escalate conflict
The chief of protocol in the Iranian president’s office has mocked comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and threatened to escalate the war on Tehran’s terms.
“Soon, it won’t be ‘an eye for an eye’ or ‘a head for an eye’, but ‘your whole damn body for an eye!’ This Isn’t Just Bluster,” Abbas Mousavi wrote in a post on X.
Earlier on Thursday, Rubio said the US military approach was “a head for an eye”, suggesting Washington would respond to any Iranian attacks by further escalating the conflict.
He made the comments after being asked about Tehran’s military policy, which Iranian officials have described as “an eye for an eye”, implying that Iran would respond to any US attacks in kind.
US House votes to curb Trump's Iran war powers but Senate backs president
The Republican-led US House of Representatives backed a resolution on Thursday directing President Donald Trump to halt US military action against Iran unless he obtains Congress' approval, but the Senate voted hours later to block a separate, similar measure.
Iran flew IRGC commanders, missile gear to Yemen's Houthis: Report
Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, military advisers and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen this month, according to four sources, in a move that suggests Tehran is seeking to strengthen the ability of its Houthi allies to threaten Red Sea shipping.
- Reuters
UK says armed forces ready to defend country after Iran warning over US bombers
Britain said on Thursday its armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack after Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued a warning over allowing US bombers to fly from UK bases.
"Our Armed Forces are ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it's on our soil or from abroad. The UK stands ready 24/7 to defend itself," a government spokesperson said.
US says Saudi Arabia nuclear deal off without Israel recognition
US President Donald Trump conditioned a civilian nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia on Thursday on Riyadh normalising relations with Israel, an action the kingdom has so far refused to take.
War risk insurance costs surge for southern Red Sea voyages after Houthi attacks
The insurance cost of shipping goods through the southern Red Sea doubled for some companies on Thursday, after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked at least one tanker overnight, sources said. (Reuters)
US House votes to halt Iran war, in another symbolic rebuke of Trump
The Republican-led US House of Representatives backed legislation on Thursday directing President Donald Trump to halt US military action against Iran, the latest symbolic rebuke of the Republican president from Congress.
Brent crude oil hits $100 a barrel for first time since May 26
Brent crude futures hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May 26 as Middle East shipping disruption hit the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
Trump says Saudi nuclear pact requires kingdom to normalize Israel relations through Abraham Accords
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said an agreement being reached with Saudi Arabia for a civilian nuclear program requires the kingdom to normalise relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.
In a post on social media, the Republican president said the deal doesn’t allow for enrichment of uranium. (AP)
Houthi leader welcomes new Hamas leader
Houthi military leader Yusuf al-Madani welcomed the election of Khalil al-Hayya as Hamas's new leader, saying his appointment at a critical moment reflected the resilience of the group's leadership and its ongoing struggle.
In a statement, reported by Al Jazeera, al-Madani said the Palestinian cause and the situation in Gaza would remain the Houthis' central priority and vowed that the group would not allow a return to war in the Gaza Strip. He also declared that the Houthis were fully prepared to immediately resume military escalation if Israel launched another offensive against Gaza.
Al-Hayya was elected Hamas's new leader on Monday, replacing Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in combat with Israeli forces in October 2024 during the war in Gaza. Hamas said al-Hayya, a former deputy chairman of the group and a member of its five-member leadership council, secured victory in an internal run-off election against former political leader Khaled Meshaal.
Iran accuses US of violating international humanitarian law over recent strikes
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused the United States of disregarding international humanitarian law and the principles of human ethics through its military actions, Al Jazeera reported.
The spokesperson alleged that Washington was pursuing a policy of targeting infrastructure such as bridges and power plants, describing such actions as unlawful and amounting to collective punishment and reprisals, which he said are prohibited under international humanitarian law. He also urged military personnel to reject what he called unlawful orders and said Iran would continue to stand firmly against "lawlessness."
US airstrikes hit multiple locations across Iran, 2 killed and 11 injured
The latest US missile and airstrikes targeted several locations across southern and central Iran, according to local officials cited by IRNA News Agency. Authorities said the attacks left at least two people dead and 11 others injured.
Oil prices rise for a fifth day as US-Iran hostilities threaten supply routes
Oil prices hit their highest in more than a month on Thursday, rising for a fifth day after Yemen's Houthis said they struck two Saudi oil tankers, raising fears that disruption to global oil supplies could spread beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures were up $4.52, or 4.80%, at $98.59 a barrel by 0935 GMT having reached their highest since June 3.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $3.39, or 3.90%, at $90.22, after reaching its highest since June 11.
"The immediate outlook for crude oil remains supportive as markets price a worrying probability of supply interruptions in a second chokepoint," said Pepperstone research strategist Ahmad Assiri. Besides the renewed conflict over control of the Strait of Hormuz, Yemen's Houthis have opened a new front by targeting vessels carrying Saudi oil in the Bab el-Mandeb strait and trying to impose a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia.
The Iranian-aligned Houthis said on Thursday they struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia.
Two Chinese supertankers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil are exiting the Red Sea via the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Thursday, shipping data showed, even as a Saudi vessel came under attack in the region. Reuters
Houthis say they attacked 2 Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said early Thursday they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, and the U.S. military conducted a 12th night of strikes against Iran as the two countries vie for control of vital shipping lanes.
The Houthi attack threatened to open a new front in a war that has roiled the global economy, sending prices for fuel and other goods surging across the world. With the standoff in the Gulf deepening, there were no signs of progress in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
U.S. Central Command said its strikes were designed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters,” as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of international shipping. AP
Rubio says Iran keeps reneging on deals while ‘paying the price’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio today said Tehran keeps reneging on deals and hence suffers tremendous losses. “These people make deals and then they break it almost immediately or they decide, ‘oh, let’s change the deal’. That’s not how deals work,” he said.
US bombs Iran sites, inks Saudi nuclear pact: What is happening in West Asia?
The US has concluded its fresh round of strikes on Iran after US President Donald Trump warned that the US will target civilian infrastructure in Iran if attacks on ships continue in the Strait of Hormuz. Two people were killed and 11 injured in a US attack on the Iran-Iraq border.
In a parallel development, the US has signed a nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia which could allow the kingdom to come up with a civilian nuclear programme. The deal potentially carries the risk of future nuclear proliferation in an already unstable region.
We compile what is happening in West Asia in 7 points. Read here
Iran claims more attacks on Jordan
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it has attacked on US assets in Jordan, and “destroyed a radar of the American THAAD missile defense system with lightning strikes”, Al Jazeera reported.
The IRGC claimed that a “Patriot system and a C-RAM radar were also targeted and destroyed, and the fuel tanks of the American base were set on fire”, adding that “a large helicopter equipment warehouse and a helicopter repair and maintenance shed were also set on fire and destroyed”.
Two rescue boats damaged in US attack on Iran’s Hormozgan
Two naval search vessels were struck and seriously damaged in a US attack on Iran, the ISNA news agency reported, citing Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Administration.
Hegseth wants $70 billion more to keep fighting
The Pentagon is seeking nearly $70 billion more to fund the war, on top of the $37.5 billion it has already cost.
House adopts $95 billion budget proposal to fund Iran war and other Trump priorities
The US Parliament has adopted a Republican-only $95 billion budget proposal, an effort to fund the war in Iran and other White House priorities, over objections from Democrats and a few GOP holdouts, in a final push before the midterm elections.
House Republicans, too, were divided over the plan, with conservatives wary because there are no offsetting budget cuts.
But, how many Americans are supporting the war on Iran?
According to Al Jazeera, most polls show that less than 30 per cent of Americans are supporting the war on Iran. The number is declining further with each passing day.
This is because:
Donald Trump had campaigned on ending foreign entanglements and bringing the US out of “forever wars”
The cost of goods and services has spiked alongside a surge in oil and energy prices.
The rising casualty numbers are impacting Americans.
A security alert for Americans across globe
The US has renewed a security alert for Americans “worldwide to exercise increased caution” due to “heightened tensions in the Middle East”.
“The security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation,” the US State Department said in its latest advisory.
“US diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted,” the update said, warning that “Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world, including US businesses and other institutions”.
US completes 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iran
The US Central Command has said it completed another round of strikes to “further degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels”.
CENTCOM said its forces struck “Iranian military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defense assets” in the latest wave on the 12th consecutive night of strikes.
It said that the US forces have targeted dozens of land-based Iranian military sites throughout this month while also enforcing a maritime blockade. “As of today, CENTCOM has redirected nine commercial vessels and disabled one to prevent ships from entering or departing Iranian ports,” it stated.
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