The conflict between the United States and Iran entered another dangerous phase on Saturday as both countries launched new attacks targeting military positions and critical infrastructure. At the same time, Tehran announced that it was suspending its commitments under the interim agreement reached with Washington only weeks ago, signaling that diplomatic efforts have suffered another major setback.
The latest escalation has spread beyond direct military targets, affecting energy facilities, transportation networks, and water infrastructure across the region. Fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors, has intensified, raising fresh concerns about regional stability, global energy supplies, and the safety of civilians living near key facilities.
Iran Suspends Interim Agreement Amid Escalating Conflict
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi announced on state television that Tehran would no longer implement its commitments under the interim understanding reached with the United States roughly one month ago. According to Gharibabadi, Washington had already violated its own obligations under the agreement, leaving Iran with little reason to continue honoring the deal.
His remarks represented one of the clearest signs yet that diplomatic engagement between the two countries has effectively stalled. The interim agreement had been viewed as a limited framework designed to ease tensions while broader negotiations continued, but the renewed military exchanges have largely overshadowed those efforts.
Meanwhile, the United States continued its military campaign. U.S. Central Command said its forces carried out a seventh consecutive night of strikes, targeting surveillance installations, military logistics facilities, underground weapons storage sites, and maritime assets believed to support Iranian military operations.
Neither side indicated that new mediation efforts were underway, leaving the prospects for renewed negotiations increasingly uncertain as hostilities continue.
Infrastructure Damage Expands Across the Region
One of the most significant developments on Saturday came in Kuwait, where Iranian strikes reportedly hit both a water desalination plant and an oil facility. Kuwaiti authorities, along with the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, confirmed that both facilities had been struck but did not disclose their exact locations for security reasons.
Officials said several people were injured at the oil installation, while a fire broke out at the desalination plant after the attack. The damage forced several electricity generation units to shut down temporarily, adding further strain to the country’s critical infrastructure.
The attack marked the second consecutive day that a desalination facility had been targeted in Kuwait, a country that relies on desalination for roughly 90 percent of its drinking water. The repeated strikes have heightened concerns over the humanitarian consequences of attacks on civilian infrastructure.
The Kuwait Fire Force reported that firefighters and plant workers suffered injuries while responding to multiple fires triggered by missile strikes. As regional security deteriorated, Kuwait temporarily suspended operations in its airspace because of missile threats. National carrier Kuwait Airways later announced that numerous flights to and from Kuwait City would be rescheduled.
Elsewhere in the region, Iraqi officials said air defense systems intercepted attack drones approaching the northern city of Irbil. Jordan’s state-run Petra News Agency reported that the country’s air defense forces successfully intercepted several Iranian missiles, while Bahrain activated air raid sirens multiple times throughout the day. Saudi authorities also confirmed missile alerts during the morning hours.
Inside Iran, American strikes reportedly caused significant damage to infrastructure in the southern province of Hormozgan. Iranian state television reported that an electricity facility and a desalination plant were among the sites struck during overnight operations.
According to the official IRNA news agency, the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, cutting off water supplies to approximately 10,000 residents. Another desalination facility on the strategically important island of Qeshm, located inside the Strait of Hormuz, also sustained damage.
Iranian media further reported that overnight strikes damaged two tunnels and a bridge along one of the principal highways leading to Bandar Abbas, the country’s largest commercial port positioned near the narrowest section of the Strait of Hormuz. IRNA later said that three bridges had been damaged, including one serving as a major transportation route into Bandar Abbas.
Iran’s Energy Ministry acknowledged attacks on electricity infrastructure for the first time on Friday when it urged residents in southern provinces experiencing extreme heat to reduce electricity consumption. However, officials stopped short of identifying the specific facilities that had been hit.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also renewed its warning to neighboring countries hosting American military forces. Speaking through Iranian state television, the force cautioned that nations allowing U.S. operations from their territory should be prepared for what it described as an appropriate response.
Iranian authorities said U.S. military operations over the past three weeks had killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 500 others. Officials said eight of those fatalities occurred during a strike on a bridge one day earlier.
On the American side, military officials acknowledged that 13 additional service members, including 10 Army soldiers and three Navy sailors, had been injured since Monday. U.S. authorities did not disclose where or how the injuries occurred. According to official figures, the conflict has so far claimed the lives of 14 American service members while leaving 427 others wounded.
Strait of Hormuz Becomes the Center of the Conflict
The struggle for control over the Strait of Hormuz continues to shape the broader conflict between Washington and Tehran. Since fighting began following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, Iran has effectively restricted commercial shipping through the narrow waterway, creating significant disruptions for global energy markets.
The Strait of Hormuz serves as one of the world’s busiest oil transit routes, historically carrying around one-fifth of internationally traded crude oil. Reduced shipping activity has contributed to renewed volatility in global oil prices and heightened concerns among governments and energy companies alike.
Iran has repeatedly argued that the strategic passage should fall under its exclusive control and has insisted that commercial vessels using the route should pay transit fees to Tehran, despite the longstanding international position that the waterway remains open to global navigation.
Recent incidents involving attacks on commercial vessels have further reduced maritime traffic. International shipping trackers indicate that crossings through the strait have fallen to their lowest level in several weeks as shipping companies continue to reassess security risks.
In response, U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed threats to strike additional infrastructure inside Iran, including power stations and bridges, in an effort to pressure Tehran into loosening its grip over the waterway. Washington has also strengthened its naval blockade around Iranian ports, seeking to restrict the country’s crude oil exports and limit its economic resources.
Although several Gulf countries have expanded pipeline networks to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, analysts note that these alternative routes cannot fully replace the enormous volume of oil traditionally transported through the narrow passage.
Before the current conflict erupted, Washington and Tehran had been engaged in discussions regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Those diplomatic contacts have now been largely eclipsed by the ongoing military confrontation. As fighting intensifies, pressure continues to mount on both governments to prevent the conflict from developing into a prolonged regional war with far-reaching humanitarian and economic consequences.