July 18, 2026 9:21 PM

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US-Iran fighting over Strait of Hormuz escalates with attacks on key infrastructure and military targets

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, today announced that Tehran has suspended its commitments under the recently signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, accusing Washington of breaching the agreement.
 
According to Iranian media, Gharibabadi said the two sides had been engaged in negotiations, but the United States allegedly violated its obligations under the MoU by carrying out what he described as aggressive actions. He further stated that the United States had practically violated and suspended all of its commitments, adding that Iran had also responded by suspending its own obligations under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
 
The announcement came amid the United States and Iran exchanging fresh strikes today as fighting over the Strait of Hormuz intensified. The heaviest damage was reported in Kuwait, where Iranian strikes hit a water desalination plant and an oil facility, injuring several people and disrupting power generation. It was the second attack on a desalination plant in two days, raising concerns in a country that relies on desalination for about 90 per cent of its drinking water. 
 
The Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attacks, calling them heinous Iranian aggression targeting critical civilian infrastructure, and accused Iran of violating international law. On the other hand, the US Central Command said its latest strikes targeted Iranian surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities this morning.
 
Iranian authorities said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 injured in US strikes in the past three weeks, including eight killed in a strike on a bridge yesterday. The conflict has increasingly centred on the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of an interim ceasefire.