U.S. strikes Iran for 13th consecutive night

What the report says

The Independent Uganda, carrying a Xinhua report from Washington, says U.S. forces carried out fresh strikes on Iranian military targets on Thursday evening, extending the campaign to a 13th straight night. Citing U.S. Central Command, the report says the operation began at 6:45 p.m. Eastern Time and was framed by the command as a response to Iran and to perceived threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against commercial shipping.

The same report says U.S. Central Command also posted that American forces have diverted 12 commercial vessels and stopped one vessel from entering or leaving Iranian ports or coastal zones since the United States resumed a naval blockade earlier this month. The article did not provide details on casualties, the exact targets hit on Thursday, or any immediate response from Iranian authorities.

According to the report, President Donald Trump told Axios earlier Thursday that he was weighing a restart of major combat operations in Iran, potentially involving strikes larger than Operation Epic Fury, which the article says he launched on Feb. 28. That statement, if followed by expanded operations, would signal a possible escalation beyond the current cycle of repeated strikes and maritime restrictions.

The development matters because attacks on Iranian military sites and limits on shipping near Iranian ports could heighten risks for regional security and global maritime trade. The available article is brief and relies on statements attributed to U.S. Central Command and Trump’s reported comments to Axios; 256 Newsroom has not independently verified the military claims or operational details.