US intensifies Iran strikes as Chinese tankers bypass Houthi blockade

The United States completed its thirteenth consecutive night of strikes against Iran late on Thursday, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirming that operations concluded at 01:00 GMT on Friday. The campaign targeted a broad spectrum of military infrastructure, including command centres, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities across multiple Iranian cities.

Explosions were reported across several locations in Iran on Friday morning, including Khondab, Khorramabad, Konarak, Jask, and Qeshm island. Iranian media outlets reported casualties resulting from the attacks, with state broadcaster IRIB and semi-official agencies citing injuries in Khorramabad and Bandar Abbas, as well as four deaths and five injuries near Ahvaz. No casualties were reported in Andimeshk and Omidiyeh following missile strikes in the Khuzestan province.

In a move to expand the theatre of conflict, Iran’s military claimed it deployed drones to strike US-linked bases in Bahrain and Jordan. The Iranian army stated that fuel storage tanks and troop quarters at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain were targeted, while aircraft hangars and maintenance facilities at the Muwaffaq Salti/Al-Azraq base in Jordan were also hit. Tehran warned that such actions undermine regional security and economic stability.

Diplomatic and financial tensions escalated simultaneously as US President Donald Trump indicated he was considering launching further, potentially larger-scale strikes on Iran. Speaking to Axios, Trump stated he was close to making a decision on a "massive attack" following retaliatory attacks by Tehran on US allies in the Gulf. Separately, Trump asserted on Truth Social that the United States would utilise frozen Iranian assets to cover repair costs for ships attacked by Iran, a move that has drawn sharp condemnation from Iranian officials.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that seizing another nation’s assets to pay for unrelated future claims sets a dangerous global precedent. Writing on X, Araghchi cautioned that normalising such confiscation could lead to ensuing chaos, noting that no government’s assets would remain safe under such a framework.

In the maritime domain, shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz reached a two-month low, with tracking data showing only one tanker successfully crossing on Thursday. Conversely, two Chinese supertankers carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia successfully exited the Bab al-Mandeb strait on Friday, bypassing a naval blockade announced by Yemen’s Houthi movement on Monday.