Iran said on Thursday it would continue its military campaign for as long as it remains under attack, as the widening Middle East conflict spilled into the Red Sea, where Tehran-backed Houthi fighters launched attacks on Saudi shipping.
The fighting resumed after a ceasefire that lasted only a few weeks, reigniting tensions across the region and unsettling global energy markets as Iran and the United States battle for control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis formally entered the conflict this week, claiming responsibility for attacks on two Saudi oil tankers after announcing a blockade of Saudi ports.
Jordan and Kuwait also reported intercepting incoming strikes, while Iran’s military and the Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted U.S. assets in both countries.
“Our retaliatory operations will continue for as long as the United States keeps attacking Iran’s infrastructure and coastal areas,” Iranian army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said, according to state television.
The latest developments came after U.S. Central Command confirmed it had carried out a twelfth straight night of strikes on Iranian military targets, saying the operations were aimed at reducing Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian vessels in regional waters.
President Donald Trump warned that the United States would retaliate against any Iranian attack on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz by striking civilian infrastructure inside Iran.
“Any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by missile, rocket, drone or any other weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant,” Trump wrote on social media.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by saying Tehran would match any attack on its infrastructure.
“Our defence doctrine is clear: eye for an eye,” he wrote.
Iranian state media reported that two people were killed in a U.S. strike in Shalamcheh, near the Iraqi border. It also said two U.S. missiles struck Bushehr, home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant, which has repeatedly been targeted during the conflict.
Houthis target Saudi shipping
The Houthis said they used missiles and drones to strike two Saudi tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, after announcing a blockade on Saudi ports.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the captain of a tanker reported being hit by an unidentified projectile about 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq. The impact sparked a fire, which the crew was working to contain.
Saudi Arabia confirmed that the Encelia had been attacked but did not comment on the reported strike involving the second vessel.
While it remains unclear whether the Houthis can effectively enforce a blockade, the threat adds to concerns over disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and could further complicate Saudi Arabia’s efforts to export oil through alternative routes.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also said they had stopped three oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz as the struggle for control of the strategic waterway continues.
“The Strait of Hormuz is under our control, and any vessel attempting to pass without coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran will face the consequences,” the Guards said in a statement.
The escalating conflict continued to push oil prices higher. Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed four percent to $97.80 a barrel, raising fresh concerns about inflation and slower global economic growth.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit in Manila, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran of drawing the Houthis into the conflict.
“The Houthis largely stayed out of this conflict, but they’ve now been pulled in by Iran to attack Saudi shipping,” Rubio said.
“I hope they step back because, frankly, they’ve been manipulated into this by the Iranians.”
Oman, which has played a key mediating role between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in recent years, said it was working to revive dialogue between the two sides and expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea.
