Iran Strikes Kuwait Water Plant as US Deal Collapses
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- Iran struck a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on June 25, a week after signing the preliminary deal, igniting the chain of hostilities that collapsed the agreement.
- Iran attacked Kuwait, Bahrain, and mediator Qatar after US strikes hit missile sites and coastal radars, widening the conflict to Gulf states hosting American troops.
- The US revoked Iran's waiver to sell oil in US dollars and restored its port blockade — both had been lifted under the interim deal.
- Iran hit a water desalination plant in extremely arid Kuwait on Friday and Saturday, crossing what the article identifies as a civilian-infrastructure threshold.
- Trump has mused about seizing Iranian-held islands to take the Strait of Hormuz by force, a move the article says would require tens of thousands of ground troops.
- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening US-Israeli strikes, with his dayslong funeral beginning July 4 and crowds calling for revenge against Trump.
Why it matters: Iran is striking civilian water infrastructure in Kuwait — an extremely arid US ally hosting American troops — while also hitting mediator Qatar, collapsing the diplomatic channel that produced the interim deal weeks ago. With the US reimposing its port blockade and Trump openly weighing a ground operation requiring tens of thousands of troops, full-scale war now runs through allied territory.
