US fires on merchant vessel as Iran strikes American bases in escalating Gulf conflict

The United States and Iran edged closer to a wider regional conflict on Friday, exchanging fresh military strikes for the 13th consecutive night, with no signs of de-escalation despite ongoing diplomatic contacts.

The US military said it disabled the Comoros-flagged merchant vessel M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly attempted to breach Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports four times. According to US Central Command, the ship ignored repeated warnings, prompting American forces to fire into its engine room. It is the second commercial vessel disabled since the blockade was reimposed.

Meanwhile, Iran claimed it struck multiple American military installations across the Gulf. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted the US base in Udairi, Kuwait, damaging ammunition storage facilities, and also hit a watchtower at the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. US officials did not immediately confirm the claims.

The conflict also spread beyond Iran. In Iraq’s Kurdish city of Irbil, security officials said US-led forces intercepted five explosive-laden drones near the airport, which hosts American troops. Bahrain and Jordan also reported intercepting Iranian aerial attacks.

US forces, meanwhile, launched fresh strikes on Revolutionary Guard naval facilities in northern Iran, as well as military sites on Qeshm Island, Isfahan, Khuzestan and Fars provinces. Washington said the attacks were aimed at weakening Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump met senior national security officials to review military options but gave no indication of an immediate escalation. Speaking later at the White House, he described negotiations with Tehran as “the most serious we’ve seen” while insisting he was “not in a hurry” to end the conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected US pressure, saying Tehran “will not bow to US bullying” and was consulting closely with China and Russia.

Regional tensions also intensified after Saudi Arabia launched strikes on Yemen’s Hodeida following Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Iran-backed Houthis vowed further escalation, threatening another critical shipping route through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The prolonged conflict has severely disrupted global energy markets. Iran’s actions around the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil normally passes—have kept crude prices elevated and stranded thousands of seafarers. The International Maritime Organization said around 6,000 mariners remain stuck aboard nearly 400 vessels in the region.

Despite mediation efforts involving Oman and Pakistan, there were no public signs of a diplomatic breakthrough, as both Washington and Tehran continued to harden their positions.