The United States said it disabled another merchant vessel attempting to breach its naval blockade of Iranian ports on Friday, while Iran claimed fresh attacks on US military positions across the Gulf, as the conflict between the two countries entered its 13th consecutive night.

US Central Command said American forces fired on the M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to run the blockade at least four times.

According to CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins, the ship’s crew failed to comply with orders to stop, prompting US forces to fire into the vessel’s engine room and disable it.

It was the second commercial ship to be incapacitated since Washington reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports.

Fresh attacks across the region

The fighting expanded across multiple fronts as Iran and the United States traded fresh strikes.

Security officials in Iraq’s northern city of Irbil said US-led forces intercepted five explosives-laden drones targeting areas near the city’s airport, where American troops are stationed.

Multiple explosions were heard across the city, although US officials did not immediately comment on the reported attack.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for strikes on the US military’s Udairi base in Kuwait, saying three ammunition and storage facilities had been destroyed.

It also claimed to have targeted a watchtower at the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

US Central Command did not immediately comment on the Iranian claims, while Bahrain and Jordan both said they had intercepted Iranian aerial attacks on Friday.

Meanwhile, US forces launched fresh strikes on Iranian military infrastructure, targeting a Revolutionary Guard naval base in northern Iran, according to Iranian media reports.

Explosions were also reported on Qeshm Island, home to Iranian naval assets including drone boats used to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in Isfahan province, which hosts a major air base and one of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Additional strikes reportedly hit Khuzestan and Fars provinces.

CENTCOM said the latest operations were intended to further reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping as Washington seeks to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that normally carries around one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas trade.