The U.S. military announced that it fired upon another merchant ship attempting to breach its blockade of Iranian ports. Iran responded with attacks on American bastions around the Persian Gulf.

Neither the United States nor Iran shows signs of retreating from their conflict after the thirteenth consecutive night of attacks. With escalating combat and stalled diplomacy, both sides are making moves indicative of a possible escalation.

American embassies throughout the Middle East have begun to alert Americans in the region that options for leaving might become more limited. In contrast, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has urged people in adjacent countries to maintain distance from bases housing U.S. troops.

Saudi Arabia launched an offensive on the port city of Hodeida in Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Houthi group, supported by Tehran, announced its intention to intensify actions after several weeks of tension, breaking years of calm.

The U.S. forces disabled the M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel attempted to breach the blockade on at least four occasions. Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, told The Associated Press that the ship’s crew received multiple warnings but ignored orders, prompting military action against the engine room. This marks the second commercial ship incapacitated following the reinstatement of the blockade.

The same day the naval blockade was reinstated, U.S. forces reported firing on the Curacao-flagged oil tanker Belma, navigating towards Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf. The ship ignored multiple warnings, leading a U.S. aircraft to disable it with a missile on July 15.

Earlier on Friday, President Donald Trump stated the negotiations with Iran were “by far the most serious we’ve seen.” Despite the daily exchange of attacks, Trump mentioned he was “in no hurry” to end the war.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi promised Iran would not succumb to the “harassment” from the U.S. and noted ongoing talks with global powers China and Russia. He warned that the Islamic Republic “will not be intimidated by threats or yield to pressure.”

Central to the conflict is the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for global energy supplies, effectively closed by Iranian attacks. This has caused fuel prices to soar, resulting in widespread economic turmoil.

In Irbil, northern Iraq, a site hosting U.S. military advisors, security officials reported on Friday that U.S.-led forces downed five explosive-laden drones. Repeated explosions echoed across Irbil, capital of Iraq’s Kurdish semiautonomous region, with visible black smoke plumes near its airport, where American forces are based.

U.S. military officials did not respond to requests for comment on the apparent attacks.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed it targeted the U.S. base in Udairi, Kuwait, setting fire to and destroying storage sheds and damaging a surveillance tower at the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain.

The U.S. Central Command did not respond to inquiries about these claims. Bahrain and Jordan reported intercepting Iranian airstrikes on Friday.

While a barrage of attacks targeted U.S. and allied bases, the U.S. military hit a Revolutionary Guard naval base in northern Iran. Semi-official Iranian news agencies Fars and ISNA reported explosions in Iran’s Qeshm Island following Washington’s bombardments and attacks in the provinces of Isfahan, Khuzestan, and Fars. These strikes aim to further diminish Iran’s capability to threaten civilian maritime traffic and commercial vessels in the region.

An Omani diplomatic delegation, involved in mediation efforts between the U.S. and Iran, arrived in Tehran for discussions on managing maritime traffic in the strait. Iran’s allies, the Houthis, enhanced Tehran’s negotiation leverage by attacking two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, raising risks for shipping along another vital oil route.

The attacks fulfilled the Houthis’ threat to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait to Saudi Arabia-linked maritime traffic. A Saudi official reported minor damage to a Saudi vessel following an attack in the Red Sea.

Saudi television, Houthi Al Masirah, reported that early Saturday, Saudi strikes hit facilities of the state telecommunications corporation and targeted Kamaran Island off Yemen’s west coast.

A Saudi spokesperson warned the Houthis of retaliatory actions if their hostile acts continue. Trump threatened the Houthis with “stern military punishment” if their boat attacks persist. The Bab el-Mandeb strait is vital, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden with approximately 12% of global commerce and a quarter of container traffic passing through.

Increased Saudi diversion of oil shipments to avoid the Hormuz strait heightens the strait’s importance. Brent crude prices fell to around $96 but remain higher compared to pre-war levels of $72.

Fuel prices in the U.S. climbed to an average of $4.11 per gallon, according to AAA.

The human cost of war is increasingly apparent. Iran’s Health Ministry reported 3,434 deaths since the conflict’s onset.

The International Maritime Organization states around 6,000 seafarers are stranded on over 400 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz area. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk urges actions to aid them, noting sailors face combat exposure and abandonment by ship owners, leaving “them to fend for themselves” without essentials.

No public indications of progress surface in negotiation attempts. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, holding a key role in past negotiations, met Iran’s Abbas Araghchi.

Before their meeting, Araghchi downplayed mediation attempts, suggesting U.S. posture must change rather than increasing mediators.

The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, citing diverse objectives to justify the war, including Tehran’s government overthrow and nuclear program elimination.

Israel expressed willingness to re-enter the conflict recently. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced upcoming U.S. meetings with Trump.

Contributors: Frankel from Jerusalem, Toropin from Washington, Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Erin Cunningham in Jerusalem, Matthew Lee, Darlene Superville, Collin Binkley in Washington, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, and Fay Abuelgasim in Cairo.

Translated by AP editor with AI generative tool assistance.