Day 167 of the WarThursday, August 13, 2026
Day 167 — Two ADNOC Ships Hit in Hormuz, UAE Blames Iran; U.S. Blockade Jets Return to Al-Dhafra; Houthis Target Aramco
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Strait of HormuzAl-Dhafra Air BaseTehran
'Fingers on the Trigger' — Tehran's Escalation Rhetoric
Iran- Rasoul Sanaei-Rad of Mojtaba Khamenei's office said Iran has prepared for the 'worst war scenarios' and that 'our fighters have their fingers on the trigger,' citing the leader's new decrees appointing six senior commanders as a sign of readiness.source
- Mojtaba Khamenei's aide Mohammad Mokhber wrote on X that the leader's 'definitive strategy' of escalating the war if Iran's conditions are not met will upend global power dynamics, and pushed a 'Hormuz economic-security mechanism' independent of U.S. guarantees.source
- Hamzeh Safavi, son of Khamenei adviser Yahya Rahim Safavi, told an online channel that Iran has 'dirty bomb' options with radioactive material against Israel and that no one can guarantee its enriched-uranium stock is limited to declared amounts, per Iran International.source
- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned U.S. officials that Washington has made an 'even greater miscalculation' over Hormuz because of 'intelligence weaknesses,' adding: 'Worse than fake news is fake intelligence. Be careful.'source
Inside Iran — Attacks on Regime Forces and 'Shock Therapy' Prices
- According to published reports relayed by LiveIranNews, Abolfazl Heydari, a senior aerospace officer of the IRGC's Quds Force, was shot multiple times by armed men in Sistan and Baluchestan; his condition and the attackers' identity remain unknown.source
- LiveIranNews, citing Israeli media, reports that Saeed Kazemi, a Basij member linked to the IRGC, was killed in Tehran in a coordinated attack in which a car rammed him before assailants struck with a bladed weapon; the claim is unconfirmed.source
- Sadegh al-Hosseini, an economic adviser to the Pezeshkian government, argued that price increases should come suddenly as 'shock therapy' rather than gradually, LiveIranNews reports, as Iranians struggle under soaring living costs.source
Back at Al-Dhafra — and a CENTCOM Push to Resume Strikes
US / Coalition- Babak Taghvaee says satellite images show U.S. forces resumed using the UAE's Al-Dhafra Air Base for the blockade on August 10, moving back four KC-135R tankers, AH-64 Apaches and 14 A-10C jets that had been evacuated under Emirati pressure on July 22–23.source
- Israel's Channel 13 reports that CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper, meeting IDF chief Eyal Zamir during a visit to Israel, called for resuming the war with Iran and striking its infrastructure, saying Tehran will not otherwise change its positions, per Iran International.source
- Babak Taghvaee also claims the UAE, trying to persuade Tehran to spare it in any renewed hostilities, has released Iranian frozen assets held in Emirati banks and allowed Emirati firms to sell 15 second-hand passenger aircraft to Iranian airlines.source
Two ADNOC Vessels Hit in Hormuz — Abu Dhabi Blames Tehran
Gulf & Naval- ADNOC says two of its vessels were attacked on Thursday evening while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with no casualties; the UAE Foreign Ministry condemned an 'Iranian hostile attack' and held the IRGC responsible, while Tehran had not yet responded, Iran International reports.source
- A spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters claimed Hormuz is under Iran's control and that no commercial ship or tanker can pass safely without the armed forces' permission, calling reports of normal traffic 'falsehood and lies.'source
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. Navy can blockade Iran's ports 'indefinitely' by rotating ships in and out, RadioFarda reports; Iran International's Kambiz Tavana says another carrier deployment shows Washington has no intention of dropping it.source
- CNN reports that Brent fell about two percent to $87.20 despite the severe Hormuz restrictions, as experts cite weaker Chinese imports, reserve releases, higher U.S. output and alternative Gulf export routes, per Iran International.source
Proxy Fronts — Houthi Drones at Aramco, Qaani in Baghdad
- Escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia, the Houthis say they targeted an Aramco refinery with two drones, while Yemen's UN envoy told the Security Council the group has turned Yemen into 'a platform for serving the IRGC,' Iran International reports.source
- The U.S. deputy envoy to the UN told the Security Council that an Iranian plane landed in Sanaa on July 12 without Yemeni permission, supposedly to fly Houthi officials to Ali Khamenei's funeral, but instead brought in IRGC missile and drone experts.source
- Al-Hadath reports that Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, ending a trip to Baghdad, told Iran-backed Iraqi groups to hold on to their weapons, saying they belong to the Islamic Republic and that Baghdad would fail in any confrontation with them, per Iran International.source