Washington, July 24: US forces launched another round of strikes against Iranian military targets on Thursday evening (local time), marking the 13th consecutive night of attacks, said the US Central Command.

The strikes began at 6:45 p.m. Eastern Time and were intended “to hold Iran accountable and diminish threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping,” the command said in a post on X.

US forces have redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled one from entering or leaving Iranian ports or coastal areas since resuming a naval blockade against Iran earlier this month, the command said in another post on X.

“Since resuming the naval blockade against Iran nine days ago, CENTCOM has redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled 1 to prevent ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports or coastal areas.”

Earlier on Thursday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that it had stopped three oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of which caught fire after an explosion.

“Three oil tankers, provoked and tempted by the child-killing American army, were trying to pass through the mine-laid route south of the Strait of Hormuz, but after one of them exploded and caught fire, the other two quickly turned around and turned back,” the IRGC said in a statement quoted by Iranian state media.

It further warned that any ship “deceived” by the United States and intends to pass without Iran’s consent “will suffer the same fate.”

On Wednesday (Washington time), US forces launched strikes across Iran for the 12th consecutive night.

Iranian state media reported that US missiles struck locations near the cities of Ahvaz, Ramshir and Andimeshk in western Iran, a power station near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, and killed two people in the town of Shalamcheh on the Iraqi border,

Earlier on Thursday, US President Donald Trump told US online media Axios that he is considering restarting major combat operations in Iran, including strikes that would be bigger than the Operation Epic Fury he launched on February 28.

London, July 23: A tanker caught fire off the coast of Saudi Arabia after being struck by an unknown projectile, leaving the crew fighting the blaze, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

According to a UKMTO advisory, the attack occurred about 70 nautical miles (130 km) southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, in the southern Red Sea.

The UKMTO said there were no reported casualties or environmental impact, and an investigation was underway.

The attack was reported around the same time on Wednesday (local time) as Yemen’s Houthi group said it had carried out a military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.

The group had announced a maritime ban on Saudi-linked vessels two days earlier, citing what it described as Saudi Arabia’s long-running blockade on areas under its control.

The latest attack underscores growing security concerns along the Red Sea shipping route leading to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising fears that disruptions already affecting the Strait of Hormuz could spread to another vital maritime chokepoint, reports Xinhua news agency.

Shipping analytics firm Kpler said on Wednesday that vessel traffic through both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait fell sharply on Tuesday as security conditions deteriorated.

The firm also reported several confirmed vessel U-turns near the Gulf of Aden following Houthi threats against Saudi-linked shipping, suggesting that operators were becoming increasingly cautious.

Kpler warned that continued attacks around the two regional maritime chokepoints could reshape shipping routes, raise freight costs and keep geopolitical risk premiums in global energy markets elevated.

Washington, July 22: President Donald Trump has formally approved a landmark nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that could permit uranium enrichment inside the kingdom and generate tens of billions of dollars for American companies, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US officials.

The 30-year agreement would give Saudi Arabia access to a civilian nuclear programme. It is designed to place US companies at the centre of the kingdom’s emerging nuclear infrastructure while excluding foreign competitors, the Journal said.

The deal could mark a significant expansion of nuclear cooperation between Washington and Riyadh. It is also expected to revive concerns in Congress about the spread of sensitive nuclear technology in the Middle East.

Under a key provision, American companies could build a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia. The project would proceed only if a joint US-Saudi study concluded that such a facility was warranted, according to the Journal.

Uranium enrichment can produce fuel for civilian nuclear reactors. The same technology, if taken to much higher levels, can also be used to produce material for nuclear weapons. That dual-use capability has long made enrichment one of the most sensitive parts of international nuclear negotiations.

Trump administration officials contend that direct American involvement would give Washington greater influence over the Saudi nuclear programme. They argue that US participation would also help prevent nuclear technology from being diverted for military purposes, the report said.

The agreement is expected to be submitted to Congress for review in the coming days.

Trump gave the agreement the green light late last week, the newspaper reported. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman are expected to sign it on Wednesday.

Wright discussed the proposed cooperation with his Saudi counterpart during his first overseas visit to the region in April 2025. The agreement could bring large contracts for US companies involved in reactor construction, nuclear fuel services and associated infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia has sought to develop civilian nuclear power as part of its effort to diversify its energy mix and economy beyond oil. The kingdom has also argued that nuclear energy could help meet rising domestic electricity demand and free more oil for export.