Day 141 of the WarSaturday, July 18, 2026
Day 141 — Two U.S. Troops Killed in Jordan as Strikes Cut Bandar Abbas's Bridges and Tehran Suspends the MoU
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HormozganMuwaffaq Salti Air Base, JordanStrait of HormuzTehran
The Seventh Night — Bridges, a Tunnel and the Roads Out of Bandar Abbas
Iran- CENTCOM says its latest overnight round ran from 10:30 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday Iran time, hitting radar and surveillance sites, logistics infrastructure, underground weapons depots and Iran's maritime capabilities, per RadioFarda.source
- Iran International lists reported strikes on Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Qeshm, Jask, Larak Island, Ahvaz, Omidiyeh, Bushehr, Chaghadak, Khorramabad and a military site outside Yazd; Hormozgan's deputy governor says power units and desalination pumps at the Bunji pier near Jask were hit.source
- Babak Taghvaee reports the entrance of the Shahid Mirzaei (Glogah) tunnel was blocked in both directions and the Shur River bridge on the Bandar Abbas–Sirjan highway destroyed; Tasnim, per RadioFarda, reports several people killed and wounded on the Bandar Abbas–Rudan axis.source
- At 6 p.m. ET CENTCOM launched a new wave aimed at Iran's ability to threaten shipping and at the IRGC units behind the attacks in Jordan; earlier, Hormozgan's governorate reported strikes around Sirik with no civilian injuries, and LiveIranNews cites initial reports of hits on an IRGC ammunition depot in Zahedan.source
An Execution Confirmed and Prisoners on Water Alone
Iran- The judiciary confirmed on July 18 that it executed Aref Khoshkar, a detainee from the 2022 nationwide protests arrested in Tehran's Falah neighborhood; RadioFarda sources say the sentence was carried out at dawn on July 15 in Karaj's Rajai Shahr Prison.source
- Lindsay and Craig Foreman, the British couple held in Evin, have cut sugar and salt after more than two months on hunger strike and now take only water, with no IV treatment given and their condition described as extremely poor, Iran International reports.source
- Iran International says Bandar Abbas faces an economic and military siege after the strikes, with residents trying to leave the city blocked by provincial authorities.source
Two Americans Killed in Jordan as the IRGC Widens Its Target List
US / Coalition- CENTCOM confirmed that on July 17 two U.S. service members were killed in Jordan while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks; one more is missing in action and four were medically evacuated and later discharged.source
- Babak Taghvaee reports Muwaffaq Salti Air Base still on fire after IRGC ballistic missiles evaded Patriot PAC-3 interceptors, with the dormitory housing U.S. airmen hit; several 480th Fighter Squadron members were severely wounded and flown to Germany. Aircraft damage remains unconfirmed.source
- The IRGC named Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, an intelligence site in Bahrain and U.S.-linked targets in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar; Kuwait says a power and desalination plant was hit for the second time in two days and suspended its international airport.source
- Fars quoted a security official warning that if the U.S. hits Iran's civilian infrastructure, Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports and the ports of Fujairah and Jebel Ali must be evacuated, Iran International reports; a Kayhan column urged attacks on the palaces of Arab leaders.source
Mine Claims, a Tightening Blockade and Tehran's Rejection of the Southern Route
Gulf & Naval- The IRGC claimed two tankers exploded after hitting mines on the southern route and that it halted four 'violating' tankers with missiles and drones; CENTCOM replied: 'Like most IRGC claims, this is false,' per RadioFarda.source
- CENTCOM showed USS Donald Cook in the Arabian Sea and said that, as of July 18, the naval blockade has redirected five commercial vessels and disabled one.source
- Deputy FM Kazem Gharibabadi says Iran has proposed a new route for vessels bound to Oman, claims responsibility for demining the whole strait and vows never to accept the southern route; an Expediency Council member said Iran attacks ships in Omani waters because U.S. equipment moves there, per Iran International.source
The Memorandum Is Suspended and Mojtaba Khamenei Promises 'Unforgettable Lessons'
- Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said implementation of the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding is suspended because Washington violated its commitments, stressing it was built on 'commitment for commitment,' Iran International reports.source
- A written message attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei says Iran and the 'resistance front' have 'unforgettable lessons' in store for the U.S. and urges unity; RadioFarda notes he has still released no photo or video, while President Pezeshkian hailed the text as 'wise and unity-fostering.'source
- Al-Hadath, citing U.S. officials, reports Trump has raised the option that the Islamic Republic either stays weak or is brought to the verge of collapse, with more U.S. equipment heading to the region, Iran International relays.source
- The EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council jointly said no country may control Hormuz or charge transit fees, and the GCC called Iran's attacks 'war crimes'; UN chief Guterres voiced particular concern over strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran and the region, per RadioFarda.source