Iran’s military has accused the United States of “escalating tensions” in the Middle East and warned countries in the region against cooperating with Washington during the ongoing conflict, AFP reports.
“The United States is rapidly moving down the path of escalating tensions in the region,” said Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s military central command.
“Any country serving as a defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed by the flames of war.”
In an interview with Axios, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that the war could end "soon" and US forces had "practically nothing left to target".
With the conflict now in its 12th day, Iran's Revolutionary Guard vowed to target "economic centres and banks" that it deems linked to US and Israeli interests, prompting more international firms to evacuate employees from Dubai.
On Wednesday, drones fell near Dubai airport, injuring four people, the city's government said. Drones also hit fuel tanks at Oman's Salalah port, Oman News Agency reported.
Israel pounded Beirut's southern suburbs Wednesday evening and continued strikes on southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities said the death toll in 10 days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah had reached 634, while more than 800,000 people have registered as displaced.
A projectile struck a container ship near the United Arab Emirates, the UK maritime agency said on Thursday, as Iran carries out a military campaign to disrupt global markets by choking trade in the Gulf.
"The container ship was struck by (an) unknown projectile causing a small fire onboard," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in a statement, adding the ship's crew had been reported as safe.
Three crew members were "believed to be trapped" aboard a Thai bulk carrier that was hit by two projectiles on Wednesday while travelling through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the vessel's owner said.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday they had struck the Thai-registered Mayuree Naree, as well as a Liberia-flagged vessel, in the strait because the ships had ignored "warnings".
The Thai ship was struck Wednesday morning while transiting through the Gulf waterway, after departing Khalifa port in the United Arab Emirates.
"The strikes damaged the Vessel's engine room and caused a fire," Thai transport company Precious Shipping said in a statement Wednesday evening.
"Three crew members are reported missing and believed to be trapped in the engine room," it said, adding that authorities were working to rescue them.
The Omani navy had rescued 20 sailors and efforts were underway to rescue the remaining three, the Thai navy said Wednesday. Thailand's foreign ministry said all 23 crew members were Thai.