Trump-Led Coalition Pounds Iran for 13th Day as 6,000 Targets Destroyed and Tehran Resorts to Terror Tactics

The war against the Iranian regime entered its thirteenth day Thursday, and the results are becoming unmistakably clear: the United States and its allies have delivered a devastating blow to Tehran’s military machine.

According to the latest briefing from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), American and allied forces have now struck approximately 6,000 military targets across Iran, including missile launch sites, naval bases, drone facilities, and command centers tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Among the most significant developments has been the systematic destruction of Iran’s naval capabilities. U.S. forces report that more than 90 Iranian vessels have been damaged or destroyed, including over 30 specialized minelayer boats used to threaten global shipping routes.

The message from Washington and Jerusalem is clear: the era of Iran threatening the free world from the sea may be coming to an end.

Naval warfare has emerged as a decisive front in the conflict. Iranian forces long relied on asymmetric tactics in the Persian Gulf—deploying fast attack craft, mining ships, and swarm tactics to disrupt global energy supplies.

But CENTCOM’s relentless strikes appear to have shattered the regime’s larger fleet.

Military officials say around 60 major Iranian naval ships have already been sunk or disabled, including warships, patrol craft, and logistics vessels.

American bombers, naval aircraft, and precision missiles have methodically targeted shipyards, ports, and weapons depots connected to Iran’s naval operations.

Still, the conflict is far from finished.

Iran maintains what military analysts call a “mosquito fleet” of hundreds—possibly over 1,000—small explosive boats designed to swarm oil tankers and commercial shipping.

These small craft can be hidden along Iran’s vast coastline and deployed quickly, making them difficult to eliminate entirely. For the U.S. Navy and its allies, the next phase of the war may involve a painstaking cleanup operation to ensure these vessels cannot threaten the global energy supply.

Despite suffering devastating losses, Tehran continues to lash out in desperation.

Iranian-backed forces and proxies have launched attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.

Several cargo ships and oil tankers have already been struck in recent days, sending flames and black smoke into the sky over the Gulf and pushing global oil prices higher.

The regime has repeatedly threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz entirely, a move that would disrupt energy markets worldwide and provoke even stronger military retaliation from the United States.

Meanwhile, Israel continues its relentless campaign against Iranian proxy networks across the Middle East.

Overnight, Israeli forces carried out a targeted airstrike in Lebanon that killed senior Iranian paramilitary commander Ali Muslim Tabaja, along with several officers and his deputy.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the commanders were actively coordinating attacks on Israel when the strike occurred, and were eliminated within seconds.

Israeli officials also confirmed the deaths of:

• Hezbollah commander Abu Ali Riyan, a key logistics and recruitment leader.

• IRGC-Hezbollah liaison officer Abu Dharr Mohammadi, who coordinated weapons transfers and operational planning from Beirut.

The strikes highlight the increasingly tight cooperation between Israel and the United States in dismantling Iran’s regional terror network.

Unable to stop the military onslaught, Iran is now attempting to fight back in cyberspace.

An Iranian-linked hacker group has claimed responsibility for a major cyberattack on U.S. medical technology company Stryker, disrupting global systems and deleting large amounts of company data.

The attackers reportedly wiped systems and stole massive amounts of information in what cybersecurity analysts describe as a “wiper attack” designed to destroy infrastructure rather than simply demand ransom.

Experts warn this may mark the beginning of a broader cyber offensive from Tehran as the regime attempts to strike American interests beyond the battlefield.

Meanwhile, questions continue to swirl around Iran’s newly installed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who replaced his father after he was killed earlier in the war.

Despite leading the country during one of the most dangerous moments in its history, Khamenei has yet to appear publicly.

State media released only a written statement—no photos, audio, or video—claiming the leader vowed revenge against the United States and Israel.

In the statement, he warned that Iran would seek vengeance for every Iranian killed and declared that the regime would continue using the “lever” of threatening the Strait of Hormuz.

The absence of visual proof of life has fueled speculation online, where critics have begun mockingly referring to him as “Cardboard Khamenei.”

For now, the strategic momentum appears firmly on the side of the United States and its allies.

Iran’s missile launches have reportedly dropped dramatically following the destruction of key launch facilities and drone factories.

The regime’s navy has been crippled. Its proxy leaders are being hunted across the region. And its cyber retaliation—while disruptive—has so far failed to change the course of the war.

But the conflict remains volatile.

With global shipping under threat, cyber attacks escalating, and Iran’s leadership promising revenge, the world is watching closely to see whether this war will end with the collapse of Tehran’s military power—or spiral into a broader regional confrontation.