The ongoing tit-for-tat escalation between the United States and Iran has brought the Middle East to the brink of a major regional war once again. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed last month to end the conflict has effectively collapsed.
Iran has now formally suspended all its commitments to the MOU after US President Donald Trump refused to abide by the terms of the agreement. At the same time, Tehran has warned that it will launch an “all-out military operation” if the US attacks continue for another two to three days.
On Saturday, the United States launched airstrikes for the seventh consecutive day targeting Iranian military installations, surveillance systems, weapons depots, naval bases and military equipment. However, Iran alleges that the attacks are now not only targeting military infrastructure but also critical civilian facilities such as airports, bridges, railway stations, power plants and water treatment plants.
The latest attack in Hormozgan province killed three people and injured eight. Two bridges, a road tunnel and 116 telecommunication towers were damaged. According to Iran’s Health Ministry, at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 injured in US strikes since the renewed conflict began on July 6. Electricity and drinking water supplies have also been disrupted in many areas of the south.
Iran has blamed the United States for the deterioration of the situation, saying Washington has repeatedly violated the agreement. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said the US signature no longer has any credibility. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed that Iran has officially withdrawn from the agreement. At the same time, senior military adviser Major General Mohsen Rezaei warned that Iran would go into full-scale military action if the attacks continue.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has retaliated against US military bases and facilities in the Middle East. An oil facility and a power plant in Kuwait were damaged, forcing the shutdown of several production units. Tehran also claimed attacks on Bahrain’s Sheikh Issa Air Base and Jordan’s Al-Azraq Base. The United States confirmed the death of two US soldiers in the Jordanian attack.
Most worryingly, for the first time in nearly three months, there have been reports of attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base and the Yanbu region. There have also been new attacks in Syria, raising the risk of the conflict escalating into a wider regional war.
According to analysts, the war has now reached a point where multiple countries in the Middle East are at risk of being drawn into direct conflict. The lack of effective diplomatic initiatives from the international community is further complicating the situation.