American forces struck command centers, drone facilities, communications systems and maritime assets as Iran rejected a ceasefire proposal, prepared possible retaliation against Israel and regional shipping, and warned that expanded U.S. attacks could trigger a broader war.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United States completed a 13th consecutive night of strikes against Iran early Friday, extending a campaign aimed at dismantling Tehran’s military command structure and maritime capabilities as President Donald Trump moved closer to deciding whether to authorize an even larger offensive.
U.S. Central Command announced Thursday evening that American forces had begun another operation “to hold Iran accountable and diminish threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping.” Roughly two hours later, CENTCOM said the mission had concluded, marking the campaign’s 13th straight night.
The strikes targeted Iranian military command centers, drone storage sites, communications networks, coastal surveillance installations and maritime capabilities, according to CENTCOM’s account of the operation. The command said the Strait of Hormuz remained open to commercial vessels with support from the U.S. military, despite weeks of attacks and threats against shipping in the strategic waterway.
Images and reports circulated online following the latest round of strikes, as explosions were reported in several parts of Iran. Iranian state media said blasts occurred in Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Omidiyeh and on Qeshm Island, while air-defense systems were activated around Tehran.
Trump indicated Thursday that the current operation may be followed by a substantially broader attack. He said he was considering a “massive attack bigger than anything before” and was “close to making a decision.” Although Israel could rapidly join an expanded campaign, Trump said the United States was capable of acting on its own.
“We don’t need anybody,” Trump said.
The possibility of a larger offensive emerged as diplomatic attempts to halt the fighting failed to produce an agreement. Iran rejected a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal delivered by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi after his recent meeting with Trump at the White House, according to The New York Times.
Iranian officials reportedly opposed what they viewed as a temporary arrangement that did not resolve the future status of the Strait of Hormuz, which remains one of the central disputes in negotiations. The passage carries a major share of international oil shipments and has become a focal point of the conflict as Iran seeks greater control over maritime traffic and Washington attempts to preserve freedom of navigation.
Al-Zaidi traveled to Tehran on Thursday and met President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Iranian state media said the Iraqi leader encouraged dialogue and sought to reduce tensions following his talks in Washington.
Araghchi described the visit as important given the regional crisis but said communication between the United States and Iran was not the principal obstacle to a settlement.
“The problem is not the transmission of messages,” Araghchi said. “The problem is America’s perception, which is irrational and greedy.”
The Iranian foreign minister also denounced Trump’s warning concerning Iranian assets. Trump said Thursday that Iranian funds under U.S. control would be used to compensate vessels, cargo owners and others whose property was damaged in attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Araghchi described the proposal as an “incendiary” precedent and warned that if governments normalized the confiscation of foreign assets, “no one’s assets are safe.” He said the resulting disorder would not be “pretty or peaceful.”
Trump announced the policy through Truth Social, declaring that “any and all damages” involving ships, cargo or related property would be paid from Iranian assets controlled by the United States.
Iran was also preparing possible responses if Washington expanded its attacks against Tehran or other strategic infrastructure. Two Iranian officials said contingency plans could include strikes against Tel Aviv and a request for Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels to impose a maritime blockade through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Such a move would place another major international shipping corridor under threat. The Bab al-Mandab connects the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and serves as a critical route for energy shipments and commercial trade between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
An Iranian provincial security official claimed that four people were killed and five others wounded near Ahvaz during the latest attacks. Those casualty figures had not been independently verified.
Israel continued preparing for the possibility of direct Iranian retaliation. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that the country was ready for every scenario and warned that Iran would suffer a “crushing blow” if it attacked Israel. Katz made the statement following a high-level security consultation involving senior defense and military officials.
Lt. Col. Ella Waweya, an Arabic-language spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said the military remained in a state of “full readiness and preparedness” for both offensive and defensive operations. Waweya said the lessons of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack had ended Israel’s willingness to rely on containment or wait for an enemy to strike first.
Several Israeli municipalities, including Ramat Gan, Eilat and Karmiel, opened public bomb shelters Thursday as a precaution, although the Home Front Command had not issued a new nationwide directive. The Health Ministry said the Supreme Hospitalization Authority also reviewed emergency preparations but emphasized that no special public instructions had been announced.
Reports of possible attacks elsewhere in the region added to the uncertainty. Iranian and regional media reported explosions in Kuwait late Thursday, while Iran’s Tasnim news agency claimed missiles struck Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, where American troops are stationed. Neither account had been independently confirmed.
The latest strikes pushed the U.S. military campaign into its third consecutive week with no ceasefire in place and no indication that either side was preparing to reduce operations. Iran’s rejection of the Iraqi-delivered proposal, Trump’s consideration of a larger offensive and Tehran’s preparations for possible retaliation have left governments across the region bracing for a conflict that could expand beyond Iran and the Strait of Hormuz into Israel, Jordan, Kuwait and the Red Sea.
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