The conflict between the United States and Iran has intensified after both countries launched fresh attacks across the Gulf region, raising fears of a wider military confrontation in the Middle East.

Iran announced that it had carried out drone strikes targeting US military facilities and bases across the region, describing the operation as retaliation for what it called the 13th consecutive night of American attacks on its territory.

Explosions were reported along Iran’s Gulf coastline, as well as in western, northern and central parts of the country. According to Iranian state media, an attack in the south-west killed four people and injured five others.

Iran later confirmed that it had also launched strikes targeting US-allied Kuwait. Air raid sirens were activated in Bahrain and Jordan, while flights were temporarily suspended at a major airport in Iraq following reports of a drone crash.

The latest developments came as Tehran strongly criticised a US proposal to use frozen Iranian assets to compensate for damages caused during the ongoing conflict, signalling another point of tension between both countries.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced that compensation for damage to ships and cargo in the Strait of Hormuz would come from “Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls”.

“These damages may be very substantial but, nevertheless, this is the fair and equitable thing to do,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the proposal, warning that confiscating another country’s assets to “pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent”.

“Ensuing chaos will not be pretty or peaceful,” he added.

Earlier in June, Washington and Tehran had agreed to a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at halting military operations, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and working towards ending the conflict within 60 days.

However, the agreement collapsed just weeks later after Trump declared the ceasefire “over”, following renewed Iranian attacks on vessels passing through the strategic waterway and subsequent US retaliatory strikes.

One of the key provisions in the agreement, Point 11, stated that the “United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

As the United States seeks to restore security in the Strait of Hormuz, concerns have also grown over renewed threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement.

The worsening security situation has contributed to another surge in global oil prices, with crude climbing above $100 per barrel for the first time since May.

Trump also warned of “major military punishment” for Iran over Houthi attacks, later telling Axios that he was considering restarting large-scale military operations against Tehran and launching strikes “bigger than ever before”.

Relations between Washington and Tehran have steadily deteriorated since the beginning of July, with both sides exchanging repeated military actions.

On Thursday night, the US military confirmed that it had launched another round of strikes aimed at reducing Iran’s ability to threaten civilian shipping in regional waters.

According to US Central Command (Centcom), the operation targeted “Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities”.

Iran’s military responded by claiming responsibility for attacks on US bases in Kuwait.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry confirmed that emergency air raid sirens had been activated, while Iranian state media also reported that warning alarms were sounded in Jordan.

Reuters and AFP also reported that a drone crashed near Iraq’s Erbil International Airport, temporarily disrupting flight operations before services later resumed.

French authorities have ordered the full evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula, a popular tourist destination on the country’s south-west coast, as raging wildfires continue to spread across the Gironde region. Hundreds of residents and holidaymakers have already been evacuated by boat, while thousands more are leaving the area by road.

The devastating fires, which broke out on Tuesday in Saumos, have continued to burn through the Gironde region, destroying about 8,700 hectares (approximately 21,500 acres) of land despite ongoing firefighting efforts.

At the same time, Spain has declared a national emergency as multiple wildfires continue to burn uncontrollably in areas near Madrid.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the situation as a “dramatic situation” and urged residents to exercise extreme caution. Several major fires are currently burning west of Madrid, including those at Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias.

In France, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said about 40,000 people had either been evacuated or were in the process of leaving the Cap Ferret peninsula, which is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Bay of Arcachon on the other.

“A total of 80 homes have burnt, around 50 of which have been completely destroyed,” he told reporters.

Authorities also expanded evacuations to neighbouring communities. The mayor of Arès, located south-east of Lège-Cap Ferret, confirmed that residents there were also being evacuated, while a local councillor revealed that about 2,000 evacuees from the peninsula had already arrived by boat at the port of Arcachon.

Further south along France’s Atlantic coast, another major wildfire near Biscarrosse in the Landes region forced more than 23,000 people to leave their homes, campsites, a nursing home and a summer camp.

Officials said approximately 18,000 people were evacuated from Biscarrosse, while another 5,000 residents left Parentis-en-Born as the fire spread rapidly.

Although no additional casualties were reported overnight, the wildfires have already claimed the lives of two firefighters who died on Tuesday while battling a blaze near Bordeaux Airport.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the wildfire situation as “very tense”, particularly in the Gironde region, and announced that France had requested emergency assistance from the European Union.

According to Macron, firefighting aircraft from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are expected to arrive to support French emergency services.

Gironde Prefect Sophie Brocas announced the “final phase” of the Cap Ferret evacuation early Friday, urging people to leave using the D106 road towards Bordeaux, the peninsula’s only land exit.

Authorities also arranged boat evacuations between 07:00 and 10:00 local time from four designated piers to help move people to safety.

The Cap Ferret peninsula normally has a permanent population of fewer than 8,000 residents, but that figure can increase to nearly 80,000 during the peak holiday season.

Around 20,000 people had already been evacuated from campsites and surrounding communities on Thursday, with additional evacuations carried out overnight in La Porge.

Brocas said the evacuations had taken place “calmly” and assured residents that security personnel would patrol evacuated neighbourhoods to prevent vandalism.

Emergency crews remain deployed across the region, with additional ground teams and aerial resources expected to reinforce firefighting operations in the coming hours.

Authorities have also warned the public to stay away from affected areas until the fires are brought under control.

In Spain, emergency services continue battling several large wildfires near Madrid after Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska declared a national emergency covering fires at Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Burgohondo in Ávila.

Sánchez said forest fires were “ravaging thousands of hectares” across the country and affecting multiple communities.

“The government has deployed all available resources. It will stand by your side during the emergency and in the recovery.”

Local emergency officials said more than 10,000 people had been evacuated as firefighters continued efforts to contain the blazes.

Authorities described both major fires as “out of control”, although they noted that their spread had been “limited” in recent hours.

Several communities, including Aldea del Fresno, have been evacuated as emergency operations continue.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have announced a landmark agreement to establish a civilian nuclear programme in the kingdom, a move expected to strengthen bilateral ties while drawing scrutiny over its potential impact on regional security.

The agreement, unveiled on Wednesday, is expected to create billions of dollars in opportunities for American companies and marks a significant strategic victory for Saudi Arabia, which will gain access to US nuclear technology without being required to normalise relations with Israel.

In recent years, Washington had linked any nuclear cooperation and defence agreement with Riyadh to the normalisation of diplomatic ties with Israel.

Although details of the agreement have not yet been released publicly, reports indicate it could allow American companies to build a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia.

The US Department of Energy did not confirm that provision and declined to comment when asked.

The announcement comes as the United States remains engaged in conflict with Iran, where concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme continue to dominate stalled diplomatic efforts.

Analysts believe the agreement also sends a strategic message to Iran.

According to Allison Minor, Director of the Project for Middle East Integration at the Atlantic Council, the deal reflects Washington’s intention to reinforce ties with a key regional ally while signalling its position to Tehran.

“By keeping the door open for uranium enrichment inside Saudi Arabia, the nuclear deal sends a powerful message to Tehran,” she said.

The agreement will now be submitted to the US Congress for review, although it is not expected to face major resistance from the Republican-controlled legislature.

Some US lawmakers and Israeli officials have previously opposed any arrangement that could eventually allow Saudi Arabia to develop uranium enrichment capabilities, warning that it could contribute to a regional nuclear arms race.

US Senator Bernie Sanders criticised the agreement, writing on X:

“Trump claims his war on Iran is about stopping an authoritarian country from enriching nuclear fuel. Now he’s letting his best friends in Saudi Arabia — one of the most brutal dictatorships in the world — do exactly that. This is absurd.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the agreement, insisting strict safeguards would prevent the programme from being converted into a weapons project.

“Any agreement that we’re going to make with any country in the world on civil nuclear energy is going to be one that will have safeguards in place to ensure that it can’t be turned into a weapons programme,” Rubio said.

Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained that its nuclear ambitions are solely for peaceful purposes and has repeatedly insisted on its right to develop civilian nuclear energy.

The kingdom also signed a mutual defence pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan last year.

The United States currently maintains civilian nuclear cooperation agreements with more than 50 countries.

While supporters argue the agreement strengthens America’s influence in the Middle East and prevents Saudi Arabia from turning to Russia or China for nuclear technology, critics continue to express concerns over the long-term implications of uranium enrichment on Saudi soil.

Jennifer T. Gordon, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative, described the agreement as a strategic victory for Washington.

“Saudi Arabia has made it clear that it will purchase nuclear energy technologies… the only question has been whether the kingdom would choose to work with the US and its allies, or whether it would turn to Russia or China,” she said.