Iran targeted American strongholds around the Persian Gulf on Friday, while the US bombarded Iranian military sites as the rivals showed no sign of backing away from their conflict after a 13th straight night of strikes. Read moreMiddle East live: Trump says US and Iran are talking, but Tehran not yet ready for a deal With fighting flaring again and diplomacy appearing to sputter, both sides made moves suggesting an escalation was possible. US embassies in the Middle East began alerting Americans in the region that options to leave could become more limited, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard advised residents of neighbouring countries to stay away from bases with US troops. Vowing that Iran “will not bow to US” bullying, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi noted ongoing discussions with two global powers often at odds with Americans – China and Russia – and warned in an interview with the semi-official news outlet Tasnim that the Islamic Republic is “neither intimidated by threats nor will we yield to pressure”. At the center of the fight is the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for world energy supplies that has been effectively shut down by Iranian attacks, sending fuel prices soaring and causing widespread economic turmoil. In the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, which is home to a contingent of American military advisers, security officials said Friday that US-led forces had shot down five explosive-laden drones. Repeated blasts echoed in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, and plumes of black smoke were seen near its airport, where US forces are based. US military officials did not respond to a request for comment on the apparent attacks. 'One-way tickets to hell' Iran's military said on Friday that it carried out attacks targeting US military assets in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait in retaliation for Washington's latest strikes on the Islamic republic. Iran's Revolutionary Guards, meanwhile, said they had targeted a data centre in Bahrain belonging to Amazon, according to state media, though neither the US tech giant nor Bahrain have commented on the claim. "This morning, the fuel tanks, large equipment warehouses and silos, and the barracks of the US terrorist army forces at the Isa Air Base in Bahrain were targeted by Arash kamikaze drones," the Iranian army said in a statement carried by state TV. An AFP journalist in Bahrain reported an explosion and warning sirens Friday, though it was not immediately clear if the two events were linked. Bahrain later said it intercepted and destroyed "a number of Iranian aerial aggressions", accusing Tehran of targeting civilians.