There appears to be no respite from the war between the US and Iran as the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the conclusion of its daily strike for the 13th night in a row on Friday morning.
US strikes on cities in the south of the country, including Khorramabad, Jask, Ahvaz, and Bandar Abbas, killed at least four Iranians.
The command, in a statement on X, said it targeted Iranian military centres, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities.
CENTCOM stated that the aim of the war remains diminishing the Iranian threat to “civilian mariners and commercial vessels” in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, in retaliation, struck the Sheikh Isa Air Base and the Al-Azraq Air Base in Bahrain, both US bases.
President Donald Trump has now said he is considering a “massive attack” on Iran which would leave the country devastated.
Mr Trump, on Thursday, said Iran has not “received enough pain yet.”
Trump said the attack “will be bigger than ever before,” and that he is close to deciding on it.
In response, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would continue to retaliate on US interests and allies in proportional terms to US attacks.
Iran has also rejected a ceasefire proposal presented by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
The New York Times reports that Mr al-Zaidi visited Iran and presented the proposal to President Masoud Pezeshkian; Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Ghalibaf; and Mr Araghchi shortly after his recent visit to the White House.
Mr Pezeshkian told Iranian state media that the countries already had enough mediators, and that “the problem is not passing messages.”
“The problem is America’s outlook, which is illogical, greedy and controlling,” he said.
Locked in a struggle over the control of the Strait of Hormuz, the US and Iran began consistently exchanging strikes in the first week of July.
American forces, which initially targeted Iranian military facilities around the port, soon began striking infrastructure such as railroads, airports, bridges and seaports.
Iran also struck US military assets in the Middle East, killing at least four American service members in the process.
The latest round of strikes and the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz led to international crude prices rising to $100 a barrel on Thursday, the highest in over a month.
The price was below $70 before the US and Israel commenced attacks on Iran on 28 February. Although a ceasefire was declared in April and oil prices dropped, the renewed strikes have led to a general increase in oil prices again.
