American military forces disabled the M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after repeated blockade breaches, marking the second commercial ship stopped as U.S.-Iran fighting hit a 13th consecutive night. The escalation comes amid daily strikes, regional drone attacks, and uncertain diplomatic talks over the Strait of Hormuz.
Blockade Enforcement in the Gulf of Oman
The U.S. military escalated its maritime enforcement after the ship attempted to run the blockade at least four times in regional waters. American forces disabled the M/T Lavine following repeated warnings that the crew ignored, according to U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, U.S. Central Command spokesperson.
We disabled the tanker after the crew attempted to run the blockade at least four times prior
Capt. Tim Hawkins, U.S. Central Command spokesperson
Hawkins stressed that the ship’s crew was warned and didn’t comply with commands, and the military then fired into its engine room. Hawkins said the ship is no longer transiting to Iran. It’s the second commercial ship to be disabled since the military reimposed its blockade. At the center of the naval confrontation is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy corridor where Iranian attacks have brought traffic to a halt and sent global fuel prices surging.
Regional Strikes Across Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain
While naval forces intercepted vessels at sea, the conflict’s 13th straight night of airstrikes brought sustained aerial combat across the Persian Gulf. In northern Iraq, security officials in Irbil said U.S.-led forces shot down five explosives-laden drones, with repeated blasts echoing and plumes of black smoke seen near its airport where U.S. forces are based. NBC News reported that the U.S. completed a 13th straight night of strikes at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, targeting Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities. Simultaneously, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted the U.S. base in Udairi, Kuwait, destroying three ammunition and storage sheds, and it also claimed to have struck a watchtower for the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain. The BBC reported that Iran said it carried out drone strikes on U.S. military facilities and bases across the Middle East in retaliation for the 13th consecutive night of American attacks, and it said sirens sounded in Bahrain and Jordan.
Diplomatic Posturing Amid Escalating Military Operations
Political leaders on both sides maintained hardline stances as military engagements intensified. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump was asked about reports he is considering major strikes in Iran, answering, “No, I haven’t.” In the Oval Office on Friday, President Donald Trump described negotiations with Iran as by far the most serious that we’ve seen, even as the U.S. launched daily strikes and said it was not in a hurry to end the war. Earlier on Friday, Trump met with top national security aides to discuss the situation with Iran and whether the administration should maintain the current course or escalate military attacks, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. It was not immediately clear if any decisions were made at the meeting, which was earlier reported by The New York Times, and the White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
NewsNation’s Libbey Dean reports she has learned from White House officials that the U.S. and U.K. are working to convene a conference next week in London. The conference would be about the Strait of Hormuz and could lead to an international coalition to protect shipping in the waterway.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed in an interview with Tasnim that Iran will not bow to U.S. bullying and warned that the Islamic Republic is neither intimidated by threats nor will we yield to pressure. In response to the U.S. plan to use frozen Iranian assets to pay for war damages, the BBC quoted Abbas Araghchi saying seizing another country’s assets to pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent. The BBC said the U.S. and Iran agreed on a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding.
Red Sea Complications and Allied Postures
The maritime conflict widened beyond the Persian Gulf as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have claimed strikes on two Saudi-flagged oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening another vital waterway and potentially leading to broader economic disruption. Saudi Arabia struck the port city of Hodeida in Yemen in response to Iranian-backed Houthi rebel attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said early Saturday. The Houthis said they would escalate after tensions have been brewing for weeks, breaking a yearslong calm.
The British military said it is ready to defend itself if Iran targets the U.K. The British military statement comes after media linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pointed out that Royal Air Force Base Fairford, in Gloucestershire, was used as a launching point for the American military. Iran also called England a primary cause of hardships in our region with a black record of partitioning Islamic nations, widespread massacres, imposing despotic regimes, and organizing the occupation of Palestine. The IRGC warned the U.K. not to weigh down its record any further. With U.S. embassies in the Middle East beginning to alert Americans in the region that options to leave could become more limited, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard advised residents of neighboring countries to stay away from bases with U.S. troops, the U.S. and Iran showed no sign of backing away from their conflict after a 13th straight night of strikes.
