US Disables Merchant Vessel as Iran Conflict Deepens

IRBIL-The United States military said on Friday it disabled a merchant vessel that attempted to breach its naval blockade of Iranian ports, as hostilities with Iran intensified for a 13th consecutive night and fighting spread across the Gulf and surrounding region.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces fired on the Comoros-flagged tanker M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly attempted to breach the blockade four times despite repeated warnings. According to CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins, US forces targeted the ship’s engine room after its crew failed to comply with instructions, leaving the vessel disabled. It is the second commercial ship disabled since Washington reimposed its blockade.

The incident came amid continued military exchanges between the United States and Iran, with neither side showing signs of de-escalation despite ongoing diplomatic contacts. US embassies across the Middle East began warning American citizens that travel options could become increasingly limited, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard urged residents of neighbouring countries to avoid areas hosting US military bases.

US President Donald Trump met senior national security advisers on Friday to discuss the conflict and possible next steps, according to a US official familiar with the deliberations. The White House did not immediately comment on whether any decisions were taken. Speaking later at the White House, Trump said negotiations with Iran were “by far the most serious that we’ve seen” while adding he was “not in a hurry” to bring the conflict to an end.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected what he described as US pressure, saying Tehran would neither be intimidated nor yield to threats. In remarks carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Araghchi also referred to ongoing consultations with China and Russia.

Military activity intensified across the region. Security officials in Iraq’s Kurdish city of Irbil said US-led forces intercepted five explosive drones targeting areas near the airport, where American troops are stationed. Plumes of smoke were reported near the base, although US military officials did not immediately comment on the incident.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed it had struck the US military facility at Udairi in Kuwait, destroying ammunition and storage facilities, and also targeted a watchtower associated with the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. CENTCOM did not immediately respond to the claims, while Bahrain and Jordan separately said they intercepted Iranian aerial attacks on Friday.

The United States also continued strikes inside Iran. Iranian media reported attacks on a Revolutionary Guard naval base in the country’s north, as well as strikes on Qeshm Island, Isfahan province, Khuzestan province and Fars province. CENTCOM said the operations were intended to further reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian vessels operating in regional waters.

The conflict has increasingly centred on strategic maritime routes. Iranian attacks have effectively disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for global energy supplies, while Iran-backed Houthi forces have expanded attacks in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia said it carried out strikes on Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah after Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers and warned it would respond decisively to further assaults on commercial shipping.

Oman, which has played a mediating role between Washington and Tehran, sent a diplomatic delegation to Iran on Friday to discuss shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s state news agency. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Araghchi in Tehran, although the Iranian minister suggested additional mediation was unnecessary unless the United States changed its position.

The conflict has also taken a mounting humanitarian and economic toll. Iran’s Health Ministry said 3,434 people had been killed since the fighting began. The International Maritime Organization reported that around 6,000 seafarers remained stranded aboard roughly 400 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, while the office of UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned that some crews had been left without adequate food, water, fuel or medical care after being abandoned by ship owners.

The latest developments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed he would travel to Washington next week for talks with Trump, amid continued regional instability and no public indication of a diplomatic breakthrough.