Three boys play in the shallow waters of the Strait of Hormuz, as a plume of smoke rises from an explosion in the background, off Bandar Abbas, Iran. (ISNA via AP)

The Iran war entered its 13th consecutive night of US strikes on Thursday, with forces hitting Iranian military targets at 6:45 p.m. ET in an effort to hold Iran accountable and reduce threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping. Tensions spread further across the Gulf as US President Donald Trump warned he was weighing a “massive attack” on Iran, “bigger than ever before,” and said he was close to a decision.  Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait reported fresh Iranian missile and drone strikes, including one on Kuwait’s Al-Abdali border crossing with Iraq, Al Jazeera reported. Meanwhile, oil topped $100 a barrel for the first time since May after Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, threatening to choke off another oil export route alongside the near-shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.

What has Trump said?

Trump signalled he was not yet ready to discuss a new ceasefire with Iran, saying “they need more of the same” after days of renewed strikes, CNN reported. He also said any damage to ships or cargo in the region would be paid for using frozen Iranian funds.

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Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran was keen for a deal but not ready to commit to one, speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in Manila.

latest developments

• US forces began another night of strikes on Iranian military targets at 6:45 p.m. ET, marking the 13th consecutive night of attacks aimed at holding Iran accountable and reducing threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping.
• Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait reported retaliatory Iranian missile and drone attacks after a 12th straight day of US strikes.
• Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said a tanker was on fire in the Strait of Hormuz, while Yemen’s Houthis claimed missile and drone strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
• More than 4,200 right-wing Israeli activists stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.
• Oil prices crossed $100 a barrel for the first time since May, as the Houthi attacks threatened a second major oil export route.

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