Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - The United States carried out its 13th straight night of strikes on Iranian military targets, intensifying the conflict over commercial shipping and Gulf security. President Donald Trump said Tehran would “pay” after damage to ships in the latest escalation.

CENTCOM said the strikes were aimed at Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities. The stated goal is to reduce the threat Iran poses to civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest round of attacks came after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis reportedly struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, widening the conflict into another vital shipping route. Trump responded by warning of “major military punishment” for Iran and its allies, underscoring how quickly the confrontation is spreading beyond Iran itself.

With 13 nights of strikes now completed, the US-Iran confrontation is moving deeper into a regional crisis that threatens both the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea shipping. Trump’s warning suggests Washington is prepared to keep escalating unless the attacks on shipping stop.