US and Iran Exchange Strikes After Ceasefire Collapses

The United States and Iran escalated military hostilities on July 18, 2026, exchanging strikes that shifted targets from military sites to critical civilian infrastructure. Donald Trump authorized a seventh consecutive night of airstrikes against Iranian surveillance sites, weapons depots, and maritime capabilities, including the destruction of the Bonji desalination plant in Hormozgan province, which left 10,000 people without drinking water. The U.S. also reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports to counter Iran's attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military bases and civilian facilities in Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. These strikes hit Kuwaiti oil and electricity plants and targeted the Al-Azraq base in Jordan, where two U.S. service members were killed and one remains missing. Total U.S. fatalities in the ongoing conflict have risen to 16, while Iranian officials report at least 50 deaths since July 6.

Both nations have formally abandoned a June memorandum of understanding intended to end the war. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared the agreement invalid and warned the U.S. would face "unforgettable lessons." Iranian officials warned that continued U.S. aggression would trigger a phase of "offensive operations and total destruction." The Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Nations condemned the targeting of civilian infrastructure as war crimes, while global oil prices rose above $86 a barrel due to instability in the Strait of Hormuz.