Renewed conflict between the United States and Iran entered a second week as Iran launched a wave of retaliatory strikes against U.S. allies in the Middle East. The escalation follows a week of U.S. airstrikes targeting Iranian infrastructure, effectively collapsing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last month. The fighting has centered on the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy shipping waterway where traffic has plummeted over the last two weeks.
U.S. Central Command expands targeting to Hormozgan bridges and transit points
U.S. Military Operations and Infrastructure Targets
The U.S. military concluded a seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran on Friday. U.S. Central Command, in a post on X, stated that the strikes, which began at 7 p.m. GMT, were designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities. The U.S. military has widened its attacks across the country, striking a port facility, energy infrastructure, and bridges. According to Iranian state TV, U.S. airstrikes hit bridges in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province. The bridges were identified as a key transit point for Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port.
Ret. Vice Adm. John W. “Fozzie” Miller, former commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, stated in an interview with The Hill that it was important for the U.S. to change the “calculus” by striking bridges, railway infrastructure, and command and control centers—anything Tehran might use to supply weaponry like missiles, drones, and fast boats to take military control of the strait. “I think we should continue to expand that to include other ways all over the country where the regime has capability that allows them to exercise command and control and allows them to exercise power over people and so I think this is a positive development,” Miller said.
For more on this story, see Iran Launches Major Missile Strikes Across the Gulf.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps strikes Kuwaiti and Bahraini infrastructure
Iranian Retaliation Against Regional Allies
Iran has retaliated against U.S. allies in the region, targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure. Kuwait has accused Iran of targeting vital infrastructure, such as a power and water desalination plant. As an extremely arid country, Kuwait relies on desalinated water for about 90% of its drinking water. Kuwait was forced to briefly close its airspace as it intercepted Iranian missiles and drones. Officials reported that several Kuwaiti firefighters and a worker were injured while battling blazes sparked by the strikes.
U.S. Central Command confirmed in a statement on Saturday that two U.S. military personnel were killed in Jordan on Friday while defending against an Iranian attack. In Bahrain, air sirens were activated on Saturday, warning residents to shelter after the country detected possible incoming drones or missiles. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency reported that the kingdom’s air defense systems had downed Iranian missiles. Additionally, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it targeted a site where U.S. combat aircraft were gathered at the Sheikh Isa air base and an intelligence datacentre in Bahrain known as Batelco, according to Iranian state media. The IRGC also reportedly targeted a U.S. naval fuel-support pier at al-Ahmadi port and a U.S. signals and communications centre in Kuwait.
This follows our earlier report, US Launches New Strikes on Iran as Ceasefire Talks Stall.
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei suspends Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding commitments
Collapse of the Memorandum of Understanding
The fighting marks the collapse of the memorandum of understanding signed last month between the U.S. and Iran. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that the country has suspended its commitments to the agreement. The United States has violated and suspended all of its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,
he said. We have also suspended our commitments; we are not implementing them.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei warned on Saturday that the country has unforgettable lessons in store
for the U.S. In a message posted on X by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Khamenei stated: Now that the American enemy seeks to ignite war and endure heavier costs, it should know that the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front have #unforgettable_lessons in store for it.
Khamenei further remarked that the repeated U.S. attacks have shown that U.S. President Donald Trump’s signature on the MoU is utterly worthless and devoid of credibility.
Read also: Iran Launches Attack on U.S. Bases; Sirens Sound in Bahrain.
IRGC claims of Strait of Hormuz mine explosions countered by U.S. military
Maritime Conflict and Regional Implications
The conflict has spilled into the maritime domain. Late on Friday night, the IRGC claimed that two oil tankers had hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz and exploded; however, the U.S. military stated that the claim was false. Iranian media reported explosions heard or strikes carried out in the cities of Sirik, Ahvaz, and Yazd during the U.S. operation. As tensions escalate, both sides appear to be moving closer to an all-out war, with the U.S. military continuing to strike Iranian infrastructure in an effort to squeeze the regime.
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