Trump says US still investigating Iran school strike

CAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said early Thursday they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, and the U.S. military conducted a 12th night of strikes against Iran as the two countries vie for control of vital shipping lanes.

The Houthi attack in the Red Sea threatened to open a new front in a war that has roiled the global economy, sending prices for fuel and other goods surging across the world. With the standoff in the Gulf deepening, there were no signs of progress in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

U.S. Central Command said its strikes were designed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters,” as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of international shipping.

President Donald Trump warned earlier Wednesday that the U.S. would destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the strait. Both sides have increasingly threatened civilian infrastructure. International law generally prohibits such attacks unless the infrastructure is being used for military purposes.

“From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT,” Trump wrote on social media.

Iran-backed Houthis say they attacked oil tankers The Houthis said in a statement issued via their SABA news agency that they had struck two tankers named Encelia and Layla in the Red Sea, leading to fires on both vessels. That would be their first reported attack on a vessel since they announced a blockade of Saudi-linked shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait earlier this week in retaliation for the kingdom’s blockade on Yemen and a recent attack on the international airport in Yemen’s rebel-held capital, Sanaa.

Bab el-Mandeb, 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’s trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, passes through the narrows, moving between Europe and Asia via Egypt’s Suez Canal.

A senior official with the Houthis said the blockade on Saudi-linked shipping would remain in effect until a years-old Saudi blockade against the Houthis is lifted. The official gave no details of the attack and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Saudi state media reported that the Encelia was set ablaze by an attack while sailing overnight in the Red Sea, citing an unidentified source from the General Authority of Transport. The Saudi Press Agency reported that a strike caused a fire at the bow of the ship, but no casualties.

It did not mention the Layla. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center, UKMTO, said it had received a report of a tanker being struck by “an unknown projectile” 70 nautical miles (80 miles, 130 kilometers) southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, in the Red Sea.

It said no casualties had been reported. Both sides dig in over Strait of Hormuz dispute The continued American airstrikes are occurring as both sides have dug in on their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy that remains largely closed.

The closure of the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passed during peacetime, has jolted the world economy with effects far beyond the Middle East. Iran says it has the right to manage traffic and potentially charge fees in the strait, which was open to all and 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’s control. In response to Iran’s attacks, the U.S. re-imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and began the widening campaign of strikes across the country.

On Tuesday, Trump signaled that U.S. forces could soon target an under-construction Iranian nuclear site buried deep under a mountain. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who has led negotiations with the U.S., appeared to brush off Trump’s threats.

“We have repeatedly said that the situation of the strait will not return to prewar conditions,” he wrote on social media. The costs of war are mounting Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday for the arrival of the remains of four U.

S. service members. A day earlier Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated in a fiery Senate hearing that the U.S. had spent $37.5 billion on the war so far. In Iran, state media reported that U.S. missiles struck locations overnight near the cities of Ahvaz, Ramshir and Andimeshk in western Iran, and two people were killed in a U.

S. missile strike in the town of Shalamcheh on the Iraqi border. Iran has responded to U.S. attacks by targeting energy infrastructure and desalination plants that provide drinking water in parched neighboring Gulf countries.

Military officials in Kuwait said on social media that their air defenses were “confronting attacks by hostile drones, following the sinful Iranian aggression.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would adopt an “eye for an eye” defense doctrine.

“Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response,” he posted Wednesday on X. Diplomatic efforts show no signs of progress Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni held meetings in recent days in Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, seeking to revive diplomacy.

But it was unclear what new arrangement might be reached to end the war, which lately has become a battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Interior Ministry spokesperson Ali Zeinivand said “diplomacy isn’t called off” and that messages were still being exchanged, without elaborating, according to IRNA.

An Arab diplomat said Gulf states are increasingly pessimistic about finding an off-ramp for escalating hostilities and are particularly concerned about the latest round of threats. The diplomat said countries in the region, in addition to Pakistan and Turkey, are continuing to push for de-escalation but that chances for improvement currently appear bleak.

The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. At a regional summit in the Philippines, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. remains open to negotiations with Iran, “but right now they don’t seem to be serious about that” so instead the focus is on protecting shipping.

___ Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writers Collin Binkley and Konstantin Toropin in Washington; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Michelle L. Price and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Oil producers in the Persian Gulf region are advancing multiple pipeline projects to route oil exports away from the Strait of Hormuz toward terminals on the Red Sea, Suez Canal, and Gulf of Oman. Prior to the conflict in Iran, roughly 15 million barrels per day transited the strait; at least seven major projects are now reported under construction, in planning, or under discussion by officials, companies, and analysts.

Some proposed routes are longer and costlier, and alternative passages have also encountered reported disruptions, including from Houthi actions in the Red Sea.

Houthis target Saudi ships as Trump repeats threat to hit Iran’s bridges, power plants Iran-backed Houthi militants said on Thursday they had struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea as part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening to create a second choke point on global oil supplies alongside Iran’s near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, the US military said it had launched another round of strikes on Iran at President Donald Trump’s direction, marking a 12th successive night of American attacks. Trump took to social media to warn Iran that any time it fired missiles or drones at ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the US would “bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT”, including those in the capital, Tehran.

On Thursday, AEST, Iranian forces attacked US bases in Kuwait, including Arifjan and Doha Camps, state TV reported, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards said they had struck Al-Adiri camp and Ali Al Salem air base, also in Kuwait. The Yemen-based Houthis, who control areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the opposite end of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz, said on Monday they would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in what some analysts have viewed as a tactical move by Iran to seek leverage.

Even before the renewed threats to Red Sea shipping, Iran’s near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had stoked inflation around the world, pushing up oil prices and squeezing US consumers at a time when the unpopular war has put Trump’s Republican allies under pressure before November’s midterm elections.

Five tankers changed course in the Red Sea to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Thursday, AEST, and three tankers loaded with Saudi oil for China and India made U-turns a day earlier. The Houthis said their forces had carried out missile and drone strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, identifying them as the Encelia and the Layla.

Saudi state news agency SPA cited an official source as saying the Encelia had been struck, causing a fire at the bow. The attack on the Layla remained unconfirmed. A maritime security source said the Encelia had transmitted a distress call, reporting it had been struck by a missile near the Saudi port of Jizan in the Red Sea late on Wednesday.

Millions of barrels a day of Saudi oil have been heading to the kingdom’s Red Sea port of Yanbu to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. If shipments cannot pass through the Red Sea’s southern strait, they have only the northern route through the Suez Canal, adding weeks and costs to the journey.

The Houthi threat could significantly widen the war and strain the US military, current and former US officials said. Two Chinese very large crude carriers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil were heading toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Thursday, shipping data showed.

Iran, US trade threats Following Trump’s renewed threat to target infrastructure, Iran’s joint military command warned that its forces would target regional oil, gas, electricity and economic infrastructure to prevent the export of “even a single drop of oil”, Iranian state media reported.

Hours later, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reported an explosion in what it called a mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz, saying one of three oil tankers had caught fire while the other two turned back. The guards said the strait was under their control and “completely closed”, warning that no tanker would be allowed to enter or leave without co-ordination with Iran.

In 12 straight days of attacks since a June ceasefire fell apart, American strikes have widened from the south to western and central areas of Iran. The US military’s Central Command said it would continue to “further degrade” Iran’s ability to threaten ship traffic.

Iranian media reports on Thursday said the US had twice attacked a military target in Bushehr, near the country’s only operating commercial nuclear power reactor, marking three strikes there in two days. State TV reported that two people had been killed and 11 wounded in what a Khuzestan provincial official described as a US missile attack on the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq.

Despite claims from Washington that it has destroyed Iran militarily, Tehran has demonstrated it retains missile and drone capabilities. Iran pounded vital water desalination and energy plants in Kuwait this week and struck US military assets there, in Bahrain and in Jordan.

Each side has also reported an escalating human toll. An Iranian health ministry official said 53 civilians had been killed and 592 wounded since late last month. Since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28, thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced.

The war has also led to the deaths of 18 American service members and injured more than 450. The US military has said it never targets civilians, which could violate the 1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war. Trump, however, has repeatedly threatened to attack civilian infrastructure, which may be targeted if it is also being used for military purposes, provided the civilian harm is not excessive.

Trump attended a ceremony on Wednesday (Thursday, AEST) at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for four US service members killed in recent Iranian attacks on military bases – three in Jordan and one in Iraq. “For me, it’s one of the hardest things to do as a president.

But it has to be done,” Trump said before leaving for the ceremony. Later, speaking in Georgia, Trump struck a different tone, saying of the war: “I call it a skirmish.” Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world.

Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.

CAIRO — The Iranian-aligned Houthis said on Thursday they struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening to create a second chokepoint on global oil supplies alongside Iran's near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile the U.S. military completed a new round of strikes on Iran at President Donald Trump's direction, marking a 12th successive night of American attacks and prompting further Iranian retaliation. Iran said it attacked U.S. missile systems, weapons and fuel storages in Jordan, as well as U.

S. military posts in Kuwait including Al-Adiri Camp, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Doha Camp and Arifjan Camp. Even before the renewed threats to shipping traffic in the Red Sea, Iran's near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had stoked inflation around the world, pushing up oil prices and squeezing U.

S. gasoline consumers at a time when the unpopular war has put Trump's Republican allies under pressure ahead of congressional elections in November. The Yemen-based Houthi militants, who control areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the opposite end of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz, said on Monday they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in what some analysts have viewed as a tactical move by Iran to seek leverage.

Five tankers changed course in the Red Sea to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday, and three tankers loaded with Saudi oil for China and India made U-turns on Tuesday. The Houthis said their forces carried out missile and drone strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, identifying them as the Encelia and the Layla.

Saudi state news agency SPA cited an official source as saying the Encelia was struck, causing a fire at the bow. The attack on the Layla remained unconfirmed. A maritime security source said Encelia had transmitted a distress call, reporting it had been struck by a missile near the Saudi port of Jizan in the Red Sea late on Wednesday.

Millions of barrels per day of Saudi oil have been heading to the kingdom's Red Sea port of Yanbu to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. If shipments cannot pass through the Red Sea's southern strait, they have only the northern route through the Suez Canal, adding weeks and costs to the journey.

The Houthi threat to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia could significantly widen the war and strain the U.S. military, current and former U.S. officials said. Two Chinese very large crude carriers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil were heading toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Thursday, shipping data showed.

Trump threatens infrastructure Before the Red Sea flare-up, Trump vowed on Wednesday to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's joint military command in turn warned that if Trump's threat against infrastructure was carried out, Iranian forces would target regional oil, gas, electricity and economic infrastructure and prevent the export of "even a single drop of oil," Iranian state media reported.

Hours later, Iran's Revolutionary Guards reported an explosion in what it called a mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz, saying one of three oil tankers had caught fire while the other two turned back. The Guards said the strait was under their control and "completely closed," warning that no tanker would be allowed to enter or leave without coordination with Iran.

In 12 straight days of attacks since a June ceasefire fell apart, American strikes have widened from the south to western and central areas of Iran. The U.S. military's Central Command said it would continue to "further degrade" Iran's ability to threaten ship traffic.

Iranian media reports said the U.S. twice on Thursday attacked a military target in Bushehr, near the country's only operating commercial nuclear power reactor, marking three strikes there in two days. State TV reported two people were killed and 11 wounded in what a Khuzestan provincial official described as a U.

S. missile attack on the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq. Despite claims from Washington that it has destroyed Iran militarily, Tehran has demonstrated it retains missile and drone capabilities. Iran pounded vital water desalination and energy plants in Kuwait this week and struck U.

S. military assets there, in Bahrain and in Jordan. Each side has also reported an escalating human toll. An Iranian health ministry official said 53 civilians had been killed and 592 wounded since late last month. Since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on February 28, thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced.

The U.S. military has said it never targets civilians, which could violate the 1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war. Trump, however, has repeatedly threatened to attack civilian infrastructure, which may be targeted if it is also being used for military purposes, provided the civilian harm is not excessive.

The war has also led to the deaths of 18 U.S. service members and injured more than 450 troops. Trump attended a ceremony on Wednesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for four U.S. service members killed in Iranian attacks on military bases over the last few days — three in Jordan and one in Iraq.

"For me it's one of the hardest things to do as a president. But it has to be done," Trump said before leaving for the ceremony. Later, at a speech in Georgia, Trump struck a different tone, saying of the war, "I call it a skirmish.