The United States launched a new wave of strikes on Iran overnight Friday, to which Tehran responded with fresh strikes on Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, while the escalation by Iran-backed Houthi militias in the Red Sea fueled tensions and drove oil prices to nearly $100 per barrel.

Washington launches 13th round of strikes

The US military announced late Thursday/Friday that it had completed a new wave of strikes on military targets in Yemen for the 13th consecutive night of bombardment.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on the X platform that these attacks aim to hold Iran accountable and reduce threats posed by the Revolutionary Guard to commercial shipping in the region.

It added that its forces carried out precision strikes targeting Iranian military command centers, as well as drone storage facilities and communications networks, along with coastal surveillance sites and naval capabilities.

Explosions in Iranian provinces

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported explosions in the south of the country and on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian authorities reported on Friday morning that four people were killed and five wounded in overnight US strikes near the city of Ahvaz in Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran.

Iranian authorities also announced that US strikes hit a Revolutionary Guard Navy command headquarters in Gilan province in the north of the country on Friday morning, damaging some equipment at the complex, as reported by IRNA quoting the deputy governor of Gilan, Ali Bagheri.

Media reports said air raid sirens were activated in Tehran in anticipation of US attacks on the Iranian capital.

Attacks in Bahrain and Jordan

In response, the Iranian army announced it had retaliated for the latest wave of bombardment by launching drone strikes on facilities used by the US military in Bahrain and Jordan.

According to a statement broadcast on state television, it said that Arash+ kamikaze drones targeted fuel tanks, large equipment warehouses, silos, and barracks belonging to the US military at Isa Air Base in Bahrain on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, Bahrain's Interior Ministry announced that air raid sirens were sounded in the kingdom twice on Friday morning.

The Iranian army also announced drone attacks in Jordan targeting "aircraft hangars, aircraft maintenance hangars, and barracks" at the Azraq base.

For its part, the Jordanian army said it had intercepted four missiles and six drones within 24 hours, with one missile landing in an uninhabited area.

Kuwait, for its part, announced on Thursday evening that it had repelled Iranian attacks with missiles and drones.

Attack targets Erbil airport

In Iraq, AFP reported explosions near Erbil International Airport, which houses forces of the US-led international coalition in the Kurdistan Region.

The explosions, followed by smoke rising near the airport, were heard after air defense systems were activated against drones flying over the city.

Iranian threats and warnings

The Iranian army threatened to continue "retaliatory attacks" as long as US strikes persist, affirming that Iran is prepared for all scenarios.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also warned that Tehran will hold any country that participates, cooperates, or supports the United States responsible for the strikes against it, asserting that his country retains the right to respond.

Araghchi added during a speech in Kyrgyzstan at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting: "Any participation, cooperation, or support in committing an aggressive act against Iran will entail international responsibility for the parties involved," adding that Iran "reserves the right to take all necessary measures for self-defense."

Compensation for damaged ships in the Gulf

US President Donald Trump announced last evening (Thursday) that the United States will begin using frozen Iranian assets to compensate ships and cargo damaged in the Gulf.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "Let this statement serve as a declaration: from now on until further notice, any damage to ships, cargo, or anything related to them will be compensated from Iranian funds that are in the possession and under the control of the United States."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded hours later on X, considering that "confiscating another country's assets to settle future claims unrelated to the matter sets a precedent that fuels the situation."

Warnings that escalation may spiral out of control

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned during a Security Council meeting yesterday (Thursday) that the situation in the Middle East has become "out of control."

Guterres said: "The situation is out of control. It is on the brink of an unimaginable state. The region is engulfed in a spiral of confrontations that keeps expanding," adding that "one crisis fuels another, and escalation leads to further escalation."