Iran launched coordinated drone strikes on US military facilities across Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain in response to American strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran. According to Iran's state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the Iranian Army carried out the 14th phase of 'Operation Lightning' on Friday (local time), launching drone strikes against multiple US military facilities in Kuwait and Jordan. The Iranian Army's Public Relations Department stated that Iranian drones targeted an ammunition depot at Al-Udairi Camp, headquarters buildings and ammunition depots at Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, as well as several communication bridges. The Iranian Army further claimed that fuel storage tanks at Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan were struck in the same operation, describing the base as a critical US military facility used for regional operations. Separately, the IRGC claimed responsibility for the 17th wave of 'Operation Nasr 2', stating it had targeted a US drone depot in Bahrain, destroying an American unmanned aerial vehicle storage facility and setting fire to a large number of drones.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy on Friday warned Washington of a possible 'zero hour' for operations, claiming to be monitoring US naval movements in the region. According to Business Standard, the IRGC Navy Command stated that US Central Command (CENTCOM) naval units are under Iran's surveillance, with the statement reading "The movements and equipment of the American terrorist army are under the supervision of the naval units of the Islamic Republic." "The Americans are bringing themselves closer every moment to the zero hour of operations against CENTCOM's naval units in the region's waters. Wait...," the IRGC Navy added, though it did not provide further details on the nature or timing of any potential operations. This warning comes amid heightened tensions as both sides continue exchanging military actions in the Gulf region.
The Iranian Army's Public Relations announced that its Navy fired coast-to-sea cruise missiles at what it described as an 'aggressor' US vessel in the northern Indian Ocean as part of the thirteenth phase of the Army's 'Operation Lightning'. According to Business Standard, the Army claimed the cruise missile strike forced the vessel to move out of range, adding that the operation had caused 'fear and panic' among US forces. This latest operation represents the Islamic Republic's launch of a series of retaliatory military operations targeting US naval and military assets across the Gulf region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman and Syria. The country's armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) separately announced strikes under Tehran's ongoing military campaigns, following US strikes targeting civilian infrastructure across Iran.
The United States expanded its airstrike campaign against Iran by targeting bridges overnight into Friday, marking a significant escalation in President Trump's threats to strike infrastructure to pressure Tehran. According to Business Standard, US airstrikes hit bridges in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, killing at least seven people, Iranian state television reported. The attacks specifically hit Bandar Khamir, a city on Iran's coast on the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said the US strikes Thursday hit around Tehran and Semnan province, home to Iran's ballistic missile production and space program. This follows seven hours of strikes on Tuesday in which the US said it had hit dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas, with there being no immediate reports of attacks in Iranian media as reported by Business Standard.
Oil prices experienced significant volatility following the latest escalation of US-Iran tensions, with crude oil futures extending gains for the third straight session on Wednesday, rising ₹105 to ₹7,689 per barrel as traders priced in mounting supply risks following another round of US strikes on Iran. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), crude oil futures for July delivery rose ₹105, or 1.38%, to ₹7,689 per barrel in a business turnover of 10,458 lots, while the August contract also went up by ₹91, or 1.2%, to ₹7,665 per barrel in 8,798 lots. This follows Brent crude's surge of 9.6% in the previous session, marking its biggest one-day jump since May 2020. The price surge came after the United States launched several waves of strikes on Iran following an Iranian attack on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz that set the vessel ablaze and left one crew member missing over the weekend. Week-to-week cargo shipments through the strait dropped by almost a quarter at the beginning of the month, according to Maritime data firm Lloyd's List Intelligence, and that was before the recent surge in tit-for-tat attacks.
President Trump defended the 20% levy on transiting cargo, claiming it is necessary to cover operational expenses of securing the volatile shipping lane. However, he dropped the plan to collect fees hours before resuming the blockade, citing requests from allies in the Persian Gulf. In his social media posts, Trump assured that international maritime traffic through the critical shipping lane would remain open to the rest of the world despite escalating regional tensions. "The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran," Trump wrote. "We are reinstating THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran's ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait." Trump also threatened to hit Iranian power plants and bridges next week unless Tehran resumes negotiations, saying "I'll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we'll hit energy targets." US negotiators had been in touch with their Iranian counterparts to tell them 'you better make a deal,' Trump added. Trump's reversal followed criticism from allies and concerns within his own administration over the proposal to levy transit fees through one of the world's busiest energy shipping lanes.
