Iran launches new attacks, saying US will ‘bitterly regret’ sinking warship, calls for Trump’s blood

Iran launched a fresh wave of missile attacks on Israeli and American targets Thursday morning, with the Middle Eastern conflict rapidly escalating following the U.S. Navy’s sinking of an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean. The escalation has triggered air raid sirens across Israel and renewed international concerns about a wider regional war.

Israel announced it had begun a “large-scale” operation targeting infrastructure in Tehran, with explosions reported across the Iranian capital. The Israeli military also conducted strikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon as the conflict continues to spread throughout the region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the United States would “bitterly regret” the sinking of the IRIS Dena, which reportedly killed at least 87 Iranian sailors. “Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning,” Araghchi stated on social media.

In an unusually direct call for violence, Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, a senior Iranian cleric, demanded “the shedding of Zionist blood, the shedding of Trump’s blood,” signaling deepening hostility from Iran’s religious establishment.

The conflict erupted Saturday when the U.S. and Israel initiated military operations targeting Iran’s leadership, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while also striking the country’s missile arsenal and nuclear program. While American and Israeli officials have hinted at regime change as a goal, their stated objectives have shifted repeatedly, suggesting an open-ended military campaign.

The human toll has been severe, with more than 1,000 fatalities reported in Iran, over 70 in Lebanon, and approximately a dozen in Israel. Six U.S. troops have also been killed, including a major whose identity was recently disclosed.

Global economic impacts are mounting as oil prices have surged approximately 15% since the conflict began. The strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil is transported, has seen shipping disruptions due to Iranian attacks, causing ripple effects throughout global markets.

Regional tensions are spreading beyond the immediate conflict zone. Qatar evacuated residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a precautionary measure. Fighter jets were audible over Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, while Saudi Arabia reported destroying a drone near its border with Jordan.

Maritime security concerns expanded Thursday when an apparent attack on a tanker occurred off Kuwait’s coast, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center. Previous maritime incidents had been concentrated in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz, suggesting Iran may be broadening its targeting strategy.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that an American submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate Dena on Tuesday night. Sri Lankan authorities reported rescuing 32 crew members while recovering 87 bodies. The vessel had been returning from participating in a naval exercise hosted by India earlier this year.

The timeline for U.S. operations remains deliberately ambiguous. “You can say four weeks, but it could be six. It could be eight. It could be three,” Hegseth stated during a Pentagon briefing. “Ultimately, we set the pace and the tempo. The enemy is off balance, and we’re going to keep them off balance.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s leadership faces the monumental task of selecting a new supreme leader following Khamenei’s death—only the second such succession since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Potential candidates range from hardliners to relative reformists, with Khamenei’s son Mojtaba considered among the possibilities.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning that Iran’s next supreme leader “will be a target for elimination” if threats against Israel, the U.S., and their allies continue—signaling that the conflict may persist regardless of who emerges as Iran’s new leader.

As international calls for de-escalation grow, both sides appear to be digging in for a prolonged confrontation that threatens stability across the Middle East and global energy markets.