{"id":1982,"date":"2026-07-24T05:07:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T05:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1982"},"modified":"2026-07-24T05:07:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T05:07:53","slug":"us-strikes-iran-and-bahrain-warns-of-incoming-fire-as-clashes-over-shipping-routes-escalate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1982","title":{"rendered":"US strikes Iran and Bahrain warns of incoming fire as clashes over shipping routes escalate"},"content":{"rendered":"
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JERUSALEM (AP) \u2014 Bahrain activated its sirens early Friday, warning residents to shelter from detected fire hours after the U.S. military said it had wrapped up its 13th night of strikes<\/span> against Iran.<\/p>\n

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The Gulf states have come under frequent fire over the past week as the U.S. and Iran exchange escalating strikes in fighting that began with a struggle over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

The previous day, Yemen\u2019s Iran-backed Houthi rebels<\/span> said they targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, potentially widening the Iran war as international oil topped $100 a barrel<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Blasts were also reported Thursday on Iran\u2019s Qeshm Island, home to stores of naval assets including drone boats that Iran can use to attack vessels on the Strait of Hormuz<\/span>, as well as to the northwest near Andimeshk, Omidiyeh and Firuzabad. Four people were killed and five wounded in a U.S. missile attack on the outskirts of Ahvaz on the Karun River, Iranian state media said.<\/p>\n

U.S. Central Command said the latest barrage was designed to \u201cfurther degrade Iran\u2019s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters\u201d as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world\u2019s oil and gas transited in peacetime. It said the strikes ended shortly before 5 a.m. local time Friday.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi of Iraq, which has close ties to both the U.S. and Iran, was in Tehran on Thursday to call for peace and dialogue. He promised not to allow Iraqi territory to be used for attacks on Iran, his office said. Al-Zaidi met with Trump earlier this month<\/span> in Washington.<\/p>\n

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Houthis threaten to shut second key shipping route<\/h2>\n

Meanwhile, the Houthis threatened to shut down another key trade route with the world economy already reeling<\/span> from Iran\u2019s closure of the Strait of Hormuz<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The Bab el-Mandeb<\/span> Strait at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is a vital shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of the world\u2019s trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, passes through there, moving between Europe and Asia via Egypt\u2019s Suez Canal.<\/p>\n

The Houthi attacks put at risk oil shipments from Saudi Arabia\u2019s Yanbu port on the Red Sea and present a \u201cdouble whammy\u201d on top of the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, said maritime data and analysis firm Lloyd\u2019s List Intelligence. Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels a day of oil exports to Yanbu via an overland pipeline as the war has bottled up the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n

Read more From prison fears to fireworks, Chinese pastor recounts sudden release after Trump\u2019s intervention<\/a><\/p>\n

President Donald Trump<\/span> threatened \u201cmajor military punishment\u201d against the Houthis if their attacks on ships continue.<\/p>\n

As the rhetoric escalated, so did economic fallout. The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, spiked more than 6% to about $100 a barrel. That\u2019s the highest level since May, before the two sides reached a preliminary peace agreement last month that has since collapsed<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Both sides dig in over Strait of Hormuz<\/h2>\n

Iran says it has the right to manage traffic and potentially charge fees in the Strait of Hormuz, which was open to all toll-free before the war. It has attacked ships using a route through the strait that is overseen by U.S. forces and intended to be outside Tehran\u2019s control.<\/p>\n

Trump said on social media Thursday that sanctioned Iranian funds in the possession of the U.S. will cover the expense of fixing boats damaged in the war.<\/p>\n

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\u201cPlease let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

It was unclear what legal mechanisms Trump would use to access and spend the funds, but he said that doing so would be \u201cthe fair and equitable thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

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