Iran suspends Islamabad memorandum, Khamenei vows 'unforgettable lessons' as US soldiers killed in Jordan

Ceasefire collapses

Iran formally suspended all commitments under the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States in Islamabad in June, deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi announced on 18 July. He said the US had "violated every aspect" of the agreement through "aggressive actions". The move came after a week of reciprocal strikes that had already rendered the truce inoperative. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref accused Washington of launching attacks before the ink on the ceasefire was dry, despite the memorandum assigning Iran responsibility for managing traffic in the Strait of Hormuz for the first 60 days. Both sides blame each other for breaching Article 5, which guarantees safe passage for commercial vessels through the strait. The strait remains blocked, with Hezbollah and Houthi militias poised to assist Tehran. Mohsen Rezaei, military advisor to Khamenei, declared that the policy of "conducting war and negotiations simultaneously" is over.

Khamenei's warning

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written statement broadcast by state television, denouncing the US for "repeated violations" and declaring President Donald Trump's signature "worthless".

The repeated violations by the Great Satan of the memorandum of understanding signed between the presidents of Iran and the United States have once again demonstrated to everyone how useless the signature of the US president is, and that bullying, hegemonic ambitions and barbarism are inseparable elements of the American way and doctrine.

Khamenei said the US had "revealed its true face without a mask", exposing its "deceit, irrationality, unreliability and evil".

Now that the American enemy seeks to ignite war and incur even heavier costs and greater shame, it should know that the dear Iranian nation and the Axis of Resistance have in store for it unforgettable lessons.

The supreme leader also cautioned countries hosting American bases that their territories would no longer serve as a shield, and that the US would find no safe place in the region from which to operate.

Military escalation

The seventh consecutive night of attacks saw US strikes hit electrical infrastructure, bridges and a desalination plant in Jask, leaving 10,000 people with severe water shortages. Iranian forces targeted US allies in the Gulf, with prolonged assaults on Kuwait and Jordan. In Jordan, two American soldiers were killed, one remains missing and four others were wounded but have been discharged from hospital, US Central Command reported, without releasing names. The deaths bring total US military fatalities in the conflict to 16. Iranian casualties from the latest escalation exceed 50, according to Iranian sources.

Regional fallout

Kuwait's international airport suspended operations because of missile and drone threats. Russian media reports suggest Khamenei may appear publicly for the first time since his election, possibly meeting or speaking with President Vladimir Putin. The escalation could draw Israel into the conflict, which has so far stayed out of the post-memorandum US-Iran clashes.