TEHRAN / WASHINGTON: American forces pounded targets across Iran for a 12th straight night, marking a sharp escalation in regional warfare as explosions reverberated through the coastal and inland cities of Bushehr, Ahvaz, and Sirik.

The continuous air campaign follows a fierce exchange of warnings between Washington and Tehran over maritime security in the vital Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump cautioned that American forces will destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant for every vessel targeted by Iran in the strategic waterway. Rejecting the ultimatum, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi firmly stated that Tehran’s defense strategy rests on a principle of “an eye for an eye.”

The conflict quickly spread beyond Iran’s borders into critical global shipping lanes.

In the Red Sea, Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility for launching missile and drone strikes against two Saudi oil tankers, enforcing what the group declared as a direct maritime embargo against the kingdom.

Amid these fast-moving military clashes, a major diplomatic shift emerged as the United States and Saudi Arabia finalized a nuclear cooperation agreement—a pact that could grant Riyadh the authorization to develop civilian uranium enrichment capabilities.