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Reuters: "Saudi Arabia Also Attacked After Three Months"
Smoke rises from an oil facility in Mangaf, Kuwait, on the 18th. [Social Media/Reuters=Yonhap News]
As the United States continues its airstrikes on Iran for the seventh consecutive day, expanding its targets to civilian infrastructure such as railways, bridges, and airports, Iran is escalating its response by targeting civilian facilities in Gulf nations hosting U.S. military forces.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the working-level negotiation team with the U.S., announced on the 18th (local time) that Iran has suspended its obligations under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to end the war, as reported by Iran's Tasnim News Agency.
According to the report, Gharibabadi stated that if the other party (the U.S.) does not fulfill its side of the agreement, there is no reason for Tehran (the Iranian government) to adhere to it.
According to AFP, Reuters, and other news outlets, the Kuwaiti government stated that Iran attacked power and desalination plants in Kuwait for the second consecutive day, resulting in the suspension of operations at some power generation facilities.
In a statement, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity and Water explained, "Other power and desalination facilities (different from those hit the previous day) were subjected to hostile attacks, causing fires in parts of the plants and leading to the suspension of some power generation equipment."
Several firefighters and facility workers were reportedly injured while battling the fires.
The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) also reported significant damage to one of its oil facilities and noted that there were some injuries. Images of smoke billowing from the oil facility in Mangaf were circulated on social media.
Reuters also reported that Kuwait International Airport has temporarily suspended operations due to the persistent threat of missile and drone attacks.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the Iranian attacks, stating, "These repeated attacks on essential facilities threaten the lives and safety of civilians and demonstrate a systematic hostile approach toward civilian areas and critical infrastructure."
Iran claims that these actions are in retaliation for U.S. strikes on its own infrastructure, such as bridges and power facilities.
In a statement, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared, "As there is no international body to stop the barbarism of the U.S. military, the only path left for us is to respond in kind, as taught by the Quran."
Bahraini authorities issued two air raid alerts that morning, instructing residents to take shelter from drone and missile attacks.
In a statement, the Bahraini military reported that it intercepted several Iranian airstrikes using its air defense systems and has elevated its military readiness level.
A mural featuring anti-American slogans is seen on the outer wall of a building in Tehran, Iran, on the 18th. [WANA/Reuters=Yonhap News]
The Jordanian military also reported intercepting 10 Iranian missiles, noting no casualties or material damage. Qatar likewise announced that it had intercepted missiles.
Reuters reported, citing multiple sources, that Iran has attacked Saudi Arabia for the first time in three months.
Reuters reported that air raid sirens were sounded in Al-Kharj, east of the Saudi capital Riyadh, and in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, with reports suggesting that the Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. troops, was attacked. The DPA news agency also reported that explosions were heard in Saudi Arabia.
However, the Saudi government and the IRGC have not commented on these reports.
The IRGC did, however, state that it attacked Kuwait's Al-Ahmadi port and a U.S. communications center, claiming they were used to support U.S. Navy fueling operations.
According to Tasnim News, the IRGC also reportedly attacked the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, where U.S. fighter jets are stationed, as well as the Bahraini information data center known as "Batelco" and the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Al-Azraq, Jordan.
Earlier, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated in a press release that it had conducted airstrikes against Iran for the seventh consecutive day, striking "surveillance facilities, logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and naval capabilities."
As both sides target civilian infrastructure, concerns are mounting within the international community and among neighboring countries.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—an economic bloc comprising Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman—issued a statement today condemning Iran's attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the GCC, condemned the actions, stating, "Attacks on civilian infrastructure are war crimes. Iran's actions are a grave violation of the UN Charter and international law, and constitute an extremely dangerous escalation of tensions."
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his concern over the escalating conflict the previous day, specifically referencing "the attacks on civilian infrastructure occurring in Iran and across the region."
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