Iran Launches Most Intense Strikes of War as Hormuz Burns on Day 12
Three ships are on fire. A global oil artery is effectively closed. And Iran's military just called this Wednesday its most ferocious day of combat since Operation Epic Fury began. Day 12 of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran is, by every measurable standard, the worst yet.
Ships Burning, Mines Laid, Strait Shut
Three vessels were attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as Iran's Revolutionary Guard made its intentions explicit. The IRGC declared it will not allow "a litre of oil" through the strait, warning that any vessel linked to the United States, Israel, or their allies "will be considered a legitimate target."
The attacks are no longer abstract threats. The IRGC struck the Liberia-flagged container ship Express Rome — claimed to be Israeli-owned — and the Thai bulk carrier Mayuree Naree after both vessels "ignored warnings" from Iranian naval forces. Three crew members from the Mayuree Naree remain unaccounted for.
The U.S. military said it destroyed Iranian navy ships — including 16 minelayers — near the strait. Sources told CNN that Tehran has begun laying mines in the waterway. Trump said Wednesday he does not believe Iran has successfully laid any mines. The IRGC's navy commander Alireza Tangsiri offered a direct counter: "Any vessel intending to pass must get permission from Iran."
Iran's Most Intense Operation
Iran launched what state media described as its "most intense operation since the beginning of the war," firing some of its most advanced ballistic missiles toward Tel Aviv and Haifa. The IRGC said it had fired four missiles at U.S. forces in the Middle East, including two targeting Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. Kuwait's National Guard confirmed it downed eight Iranian drones targeting the country.
Qatar's Ministry of Defence reported its military intercepted drones over Doha Wednesday morning, with several explosions heard in the capital. Dubai's airport was hit overnight, wounding four people, though the UAE government said the major hub remained operational.
A suspected Iranian drone also struck a U.S. diplomatic facility in Iraq near Baghdad airport, two sources told CNN. Russia's role is sharpening. A Western intelligence official confirmed Russia is now giving Iran specific tactical advice on drone operations — a step beyond the general targeting assistance previously reported.
The Human Cost and the Energy Crisis
More than 1,200 people have been killed in Iran by Israeli and American strikes, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said. Thirteen have died in Israel from Iranian retaliation. In Lebanon, Israeli strikes have killed 570 people, with nearly 800,000 registered as displaced.
The United Nations is warning of toxic black rain — contaminated rainfall from fires at struck facilities — along with mass displacement and disrupted humanitarian supply chains. The WHO flagged the health risk of pollutants from burning military and industrial sites across Iran.
Economically, the damage is mounting fast. The International Energy Agency announced a record release of 400 million barrels of crude oil from emergency reserves to offset the disruption. It hasn't been enough. The IRGC warned bluntly: "You will not be able to artificially lower the price of oil. Expect oil at $200 per barrel."
New Supreme Leader Still Not Seen
Mojtaba Khamenei — named supreme leader after his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes — suffered a fractured foot and other minor injuries in that first wave of attacks, a source told CNN. He has not appeared in public nor issued a written statement since being chosen as Iran's new leader.
The UN Security Council adopted a Bahrain-led resolution demanding Iran immediately halt attacks on Gulf Arab nations, passing 13-0. Russia and China abstained.
Trump told reporters outside the White House the war would end "soon, whenever I decide." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed approximately 140 U.S. service members have been wounded in the first ten days of combat, saying the U.S. and Israel were "winning" and "rapidly meeting objectives." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the only path to peace runs through "recognition of Iran's legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression."
Neither side is close to that threshold.
