What we know on the 13th day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran
(CNN) — Iran’s new supreme leader has delivered his first written message, warning the US and Israel that they must pay “compensation” for their actions and that the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route will remain closed to apply pressure, as the conflict increasingly spreads to the seas.
Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that the war is causing the “largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market,” as a global body of countries agrees to release emergency oil reserves to help absorb the shock.
And, US President Donald Trump continues to give conflicting comments about when the war might end.
Here’s what to know on Day 13.
What’s happening in the region?
Supreme leader’s written message: Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first message Thursday, calling for unity among the Iranian people and warning that the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route, will remain closed as a “tool of pressure.” He warned the US and Israel that they must pay “compensation” for their actions.
Strikes target oil: Two foreign oil tankers in Iraqi waters were set ablaze by an Iranian attack, killing at least one person, with 38 other crew members rescued. Iraq’s oil ports subequently completely halted operations. Separately, emergency crews in Oman are battling a fire at fuel storage tanks, after a social media video geolocated by CNN appeared to show an Iranian drone hitting a tank at the port. And Bahrain said that Iranian attacks targeted fuel tanks in the country’s north early Thursday local time.
Attacks near strait: A container ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates was struck by an “unknown projectile” early Thursday – after another three vessels were hit by projectiles near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. So far six vessels have been struck in the Persian Gulf in the last two days. The straits carries roughly one-fifth of global crude oil shipments. Representatives of G7 nations met on Wednesday to discuss possibly escorting ships “when security conditions allow.”
Hezbollah and Israel: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it carried out a joint attack with the militant group Hezbollah on Israel, striking more than 50 targets across five hours of sustained fire on Wednesday. Israel later carried out a wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah infrastructure across Lebanon, its military said. One strike in the capital Beirut killed eight people, at a beach that was housing many displaced residents. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday instructed the military to prepare for expanding operations in Lebanon.
Iran strikes continue: Israeli drone strikes targeted IRGC and Basij checkpoints in Tehran, killing at least 10 “security defenders,” Iranian state media said Thursday. A resident in Iran’s capital Tehran recounted a night of terror overnight into Thursday, including drones flying low over residential buildings and a relentless bombing campaign. “I don’t know how anyone can survive that kind of bombing. I really feel like they won’t leave anything behind,” they told CNN.
Millions displaced: Up to 3.2 million people have been displaced inside Iran since the conflict with Israel and the US began on February 28, according to the United Nations’ refugee agency. Most of them are reportedly fleeing from Tehran and other urban areas toward the north of the country and rural areas in search of safety, the UNHCR said in a statement. “This figure is likely to continue rising as hostilities persist, marking a worrying escalation in humanitarian needs,” it said.
Gulf nations: Kuwait’s international airport was damaged in a drone attack Thursday morning, the country’s civil aviation authority said. Other Gulf states intercepted new waves of Iranian drones and missiles early Thursday morning too, including in the global business hub of Dubai, where a drone fell on a building near the luxury neighborhood of Creek Harbour.
What are the other main headlines?
Oil supply disruption: The flow of crude and oil products through the crucial Strait of Hormuz has reduced to “a trickle,” the IEA said in its monthly oil report, as it warned of an unprecedented disruption to global oil supplies. Global oil supply would plunge by 8 million barrels per day this month, it said.
Emergency reserves: Member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) agreed Wednesday to release 400 million barrels of oil into the global market – the largest release of emergency oil stocks in history. Soon after, US President Trump authorized the US to release 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve beginning next week.
Surging prices: Despite the IEA’s announcement, oil prices rose past $100 per barrel again for a period overnight into Thursday – three days after it hit a four-year high.
Emergency measures: Several Asian countries are taking drastic action to reduce their oil consumption. Universities in Bangladesh have closed to save energy. Austerity measures in Pakistan have shuttered schools and shifted services online. Vietnam is calling on companies to encourage remote working while Thailand has ordered government workers to work from home.
Trump’s speech: Speaking in Kentucky on Wednesday, Trump claimed that “we won” in Iran, without providing evidence. It also contradicts his earlier comment that “we’re not finished yet” with the war. Later that night, he told reporters: “It’s just a question of when, when do we stop?”
Scrutiny back home: The Pentagon told US lawmakers in a private briefing Tuesday that preliminary estimates suggest the war cost at least $11 billion in the first six days. And in a rare show of GOP criticism, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski slammed Trump’s handling of the war, demanding public hearings and saying that mixed messaging from the administration is leading to confusion.
The school strike: The US military accidentally struck an Iranian elementary school likely due to outdated information about a nearby naval base, according to sources who were briefed on the preliminary findings of an ongoing military investigation. The attack killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers, Iran’s state media reported.
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