Summary

• CENTCOM says two US troops killed in Iranian attack on Jordan base.
• Iran formally suspends MoU with the US, declaring agreement is over & commitments will no longer be fulfilled.
• Fighting escalates into seventh strait day of heavy bombings.
• Iran reportedly struck a US base in Saudi Arabia for the first time in four months.
• US strikes disrupt southern Iran’s telecom network, knocking out 116 communication towers amid new infrastructure war.
• Iran pounds Kuwait’s energy infrastructure, damaging power & desalination facilities.

*  *  *

Americans Killed by Iranian Missiles on Jordan

Footage has been widely circulating over the past half-day showing massive Iranian ballistic missile strikes on Jordan. Iran said it targeted a US base there, and took out various aerial and radar assets, and caused casualties among American troops.

But the Pentagon has been radio silent on the extent of potential damage, until now: US officials are reporting that two American service members were killed in the overnight Iranian attack. According to emerging details in Axios:

Two U.S. service members were killed and more wounded in an Iranian ballistic missile attack on an airbase in Jordan on Saturday, military officials said.

This is the first time U.S. troops have been killed since the fighting resumed two weeks ago. The incident raises the number of U.S. service members killed in the war to 16.

On Saturday at least two Iranian ballistic missiles hit the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, which hosts U.S. troops and fighter jets.

CENTCOM posted to X, officially confirming the news: “On July 17, two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing in action.”

Two Iranian medium-range ballistic missile impacts were reported at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan earlier tonight. pic.twitter.com/NLgLeghrs7

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) July 18, 2026

The statement has noted additional injuries: “Four American service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals. They have since been discharged. Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have returned to duty,” CENTCOM said.

Iran Formally Suspends MoU

It is now “official”: the Iranians have declared that the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States is dead. Tasnim is reporting Saturday that Iran will no longer fulfill its MoU obligations amid alleged repeat US violations. The past weeks have seen each side hurl warnings and threats to pull out, while attaching conditions that must be fulfilled.

But after what is now a full week of renewed fighting, it has been effectively torn up, with negotiations no longer happening. Al Jazeera is citing a top Iran official’s precise statement on suspending the MoU in the following:

Previously, we have seen again and again Iranian officials accusing the US of violating the MoU and also putting some conditions if the aggression continues.

What we’re seeing is Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, who is also head of the Iranian technical negotiating team, saying that in practice, the US has violated all the commitments and suspended the MoU entirely.

“We also likewise have suspended all of our commitments as a result; we are no longer implementing those commitments,” he added.

So, officially, this is the first time the Iranians are saying the MoU is over and they’re not going to implement any clause.

Given President Trump has apparently just ordered dozens more aerial refueling planes to the region, the conflict looks to continue going up the escalation ladder for at least the next week or longer. Each side will seek to impose more economic and military pain, while waiting for the other to blink. Battle of narratives over damage and retaliation:

🇮🇷🇯🇴⚡️– Insane footage of Iranian ballistic missiles striking Jordanian air bases despite a large number of interceptors in the air.

Despite clear footage of impacts they still deny it and lie that all of them were intercepted. pic.twitter.com/Es8hw7TCXJ

— MonitorX (@MonitorX99800) July 18, 2026

Saudi Base Attacked for First Time in 4 Months

Saudi Arabia has come under attack by Iranian missiles in the last 24 hours, the kingdom is confirming on Saturday, in a major escalation given that this is a first since near the start of the war several months ago. According to Reuters:

The Saudi civil defense early on Saturday issued two early warnings for Al-Kharj city and Yanbu to be alert to “potential danger,” but it later says the danger has passed in both areas, without providing details on the danger that triggered the warnings.

A US official tells the Axios news site that Iran targeted an American military base in Saudi Arabia with a ballistic missile, the first time that the Islamic Republic has directly attacked the kingdom in four months.

Locations in Jordan and even Syria have also been hit in recent salvos, but the US military has downplayed these attacks – and there’s a battle of narratives over just how destructive these have been amid the fog of war.

Kuwait also reeling from stepped-up attacks…

⚡️ 🎦Unprecedented crowd at Kuwait Airport for departure from the country pic.twitter.com/Db5IeZsmDg

— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) July 18, 2026

116 Telecoms Towers In Southern Iran Taken Out

As we featured earlier, Iranian communications and even the supply of drinking water have been severely impacted in some places of southern Iran, amid continuing US airstrikes on civic and national infrastructure, amid the seventh consecutive day of war. “Hormozgan’s chief of communications and information technology says the US’s overnight attacks disrupted telecommunications in Bandar Abbas and Hajiabad, in the northern part of the province,” Al Jazeera reports

Authorities there have tallied at least 116 telecommunication towers which were taken out of service due to the US onslaught. This has resulted in outages and disruptions of fixed-line, mobile, and internet services, per Tasnim news agency.

This suggests the US is returning to a strategy which seeks to create destabilization within, targeting the ability of the public to communicate and access information, returning the situation to the early weeks of the war, which saw Tehran authorities themselves curb internet and some telecoms access for the citizenry.

Kuwait Power & Desalination Plant Hit

Kuwait was bombarded overnight in one of the fiercest Iranian retaliatory strikes since the US-Iran conflict erupted in late February, with missiles and one-way drones targeting power infrastructure and other critical energy assets.

Local outlet Kuwait News Agency reports an unspecified site of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation suffered “significant material losses” as the week-long flare-up in Gulf tensions has derailed any near-term normalization of tanker flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

There was a report that the Al-Subiya power station was struck. This marks the second attack on Kuwaiti power infrastructure in just days, after a transformer at the Zour South electricity and desalination complex was hit on Friday.

Authorities disconnected several power-generating units as a precaution and urged residents to conserve electricity. A Kuwaiti army base was also struck during the latest escalation, injuring several personnel.

Second Iranian strike in two days hit a Kuwaiti power/desalination plant, sparking a fire.

A similar plant was hit yesterday.

Strikes are part of Iran’s ongoing campaign against US military sites in Kuwait (Ali Al Salem base and others).

Kuwait relies on desalination for ~90%… pic.twitter.com/EyTPOwTIsM

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 18, 2026

Infrastructure War in Full Swing

On March 2, we warned: 

• Airports, Data Centers, Skyscrapers, & Power Plants: Are Desalination Plants Next Targets In U.S.-Iran War

Bahrain and Jordan intercepted Iranian missiles and drones. The overnight barrage followed a seventh consecutive night of US strikes targeting Iranian surveillance sites, weapons storage, logistics infrastructure and maritime offensive capabilities as the Department of War seeks to erode Tehran’s leverage on the Hormuz waterway.

As of late Friday, the previous US-Iran wrap stated:

• Surge in more large US refueling planes headed to Mideast, signaling likely expansion of strikes on Iran.
• US attacks hit Iranian energy and transport infrastructure.
• Iran threatens stronger retaliation and claims strike on US base in Qatar – and deepens attacks to include US outposts in Jordan, Syria.
• Iran urges power conservation; Hormuz shipping traffic declines further.
• Oil prices rise to session highs on fears of broader regional conflict.

Brent chart

The latest Hormuz tanker transit data via Bloomberg shows that activity at the maritime chokepoint has all but ceased. This data is based on ships activating their transponders and doesn’t account for ships that ‘go dark’…

Overnight headlines

…courtesy of Bloomberg:

US-Iran Escalation

• The US launched its seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran on Friday at 3 p.m. ET, aimed at degrading Iran’s military capabilities, including hitting bridges, energy infrastructure, and a port facility in southern Iran, according to Iranian state media.
• The conflict has intensified beyond military targets, with the US striking six road bridges and reports of attacks near Bushehr’s nuclear power plant and the province of Lorestan, raising fears of a return to full-scale war.
• The hostilities were triggered by an Iranian drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on June 25, just days after the US and Iran signed a preliminary ceasefire deal, setting off a chain of escalating attacks.
• Iran has threatened a “full-scale offensive” in response to US strikes, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining virtually closed as of Saturday.

Iran Attacks Kuwait

• Iran launched a heavy barrage on Kuwait on Saturday morning, striking a vital oil facility and causing significant material losses and injuries, according to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation via state news agency KUNA.
• Kuwait airport suspended flights following the Saturday attacks, which triggered multiple rounds of sirens from around dawn.
• Iran also struck a power and desalination plant and a transformer at the Zour South facility, causing a fire and marking Tehran’s first targeting of power infrastructure during the current escalation.
• Kuwait’s foreign ministry accused Iran of systematically targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure, saying it “endangers the lives and safety of civilians.”

Iran’s Counterstrikes

• Iran has been targeting US bases in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain in retaliation for US strikes. The IRGC claimed its 20th wave of “Nasr 2” operations destroyed several American aircraft at a US airbase in Jordan.
• US-sanctioned Iranian tankers are U-turning and zig-zagging in the Gulf of Oman as the US enforces an aggressive blockade of Iranian shipping, having redirected three merchant ships, boarded one vessel, and disabled a non-compliant tanker.

Energy Market Impact

• Crude oil prices surged sharply, posting their biggest rise since April, as fears of renewed escalation grew and shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slumped significantly.
• The Strait of Hormuz shutdown is expected to spark massive investments aimed at permanently reducing reliance on the chokepoint, restructuring global energy infrastructure and trade flows, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

In a major victory those seeking to rid America of bans on so-called “assault weapons,” for the first time ever, a federal appeals court has ruled that a state’s ban on AR-15s and similar rifles, and its ban on “high-capacity” magazines, violate the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution.

The bans in question had been enacted by New Jersey, but the ruling carries weight throughout the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which also includes Pennsylvania and Delaware. More significantly, the Third Circuit ruling creates a direct circuit split — the term used to describe a situation where two or more federal courts hand down different interpretations of the same legal controversy, which results in litigants in different parts of the country experiencing sharply different outcomes. Circuit splits are one of the key factors that make an issue ripe for US Supreme Court review.

Late last month, the Supreme Court already agreed to hear an appeal of rulings that upheld a “assault rifle” ban imposed by Connecticut and by Cook County — where Chicago is situated. The question posed to the high court by the petitioners: “Whether the Second and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee the right to possess AR-15 platform and similar semi-automatic rifles.” 

Comically flaunting his supposed credentials on the issue by noting that he “qualified as an expert shot” in the Navy and is thus “familiar with firearms,” New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill condemned the ruling in a statement: 

“Today’s decision is dangerous, wrong, and make no mistake, it will make New Jersey communities less safe…This decision is not only legally wrong, it’s completely out of step with parents and the people of the Garden State…We will not back down from extreme, right-wing attempts to weaken the laws of New Jersey.”

The Third Circuit Court reviewed the case en banc — that is, all active judges of the circuit participated in hearing and deciding the case.  They threw out the New Jersey rifle and magazine bans by a 10-to-5 margin. A majority of the Third Circuit judges were appointed by Republicans, but the majority opinion was written by a Biden-appointed judge, Arianna Freeman. As required by the landmark 2022 Bruen decision, the Third Circuit and all other federal courts are required to evaluate whether a given restriction on the right of armed self-defense is consistent with the country’s historical tradition of firearms regulation. 

Freeman and her fellow judges in the majority flatly rejected the notion, embraced by other circuits, that AR-15 rifles are not “arms” as the term is used in the Second Amendment: 

“Even the narrowest Founding-era definition of ‘Arms’ addressed by the Heller Court ‘stated that all firearms constituted ‘arms,’”… “Because semi-automatic rifles are firearms, they are ‘Arms’ within the meaning of the Second Amendment. The Constitution thus ‘presumptively protects’ individuals’ right to keep and bear semi-automatic rifles.”

The majority decision also rejected the ban over the “common use” standard that was created by the Supreme Court’s 2008 Heller decision: 

They also found no historical roots with which to justify the ban on AR-15 and similar rifles: 

“Together, Heller and Bruen teach that bans or broad prohibitions on possessing or carrying of a class of weapons in common use for lawful purposes fail to find support in our Nation’s tradition of firearm regulation. That is so even when the regulations are passed with the intention of reducing gun violence .. That principle resolves our inquiry here.

In the primary dissenting opinion, Biden appointee Patty Shwartz said “the objective features of AR-15s and [large-capacity magazines] render them disproportionate to ‘ordinary self-defense needs’ and thus outside the scope of the Second Amendment’s protection.”

Authored by Noel Williams via AmericanThinker.com,

Yesterday, Mr. Noel S. Williams noted the impudent and impertinent behavior of Argentina’s soccer players after their World Cup semi-final match against England (you’re welcome).

The unfurling of the banner that read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” may have flown under the radar for many, but it was actually a rather sizable geopolitical offense.

The Falkland Islands Government has now issued a statement condemning the Argentinian team’s hubris.

Here is part of it:

That said, it is hardly news to anyone that the people of the Islands were victims of an aggressive invasion in 1982, which left many traumatised [sic].

The banner displayed by Argentina last night, therefore, was particularly insensitive for many people in the Falklands.

…

We welcome the UK Government’s supportive statement this morning.

The statement also calls upon FIFA to sanction their atrocious behavior in keeping with their categorical rules to eliminate politics from sports.

Now we will see if FIFA has really purged their inherently corrupt tendencies.

As for sport, frankly Argentina probably deserved to win the match because England essentially chose to lose (after taking the lead).

Nevertheless, their brutish behavior (fouls, simulations, swarming, and the “dark arts” in which they specialize) are not a good advertisement for the game.

Good sportsmanship and soccer don’t dovetail, but Argentina’s tactics scrape the bottom of the barrel.

Argentina does have a much-loved player named Lionel Messi, and a considerable fan base, but their soccer shenanigans are messy.

I hope FIFA president Gianni Infantino is not coyed by their fervor.

Since Argentina is now in the World Cup Final, he has the perfect opportunity to highlight the importance of FIFA’s rules about politics and sportsmanship by imposing punishment in a high-profile moment.

He said he wants the tournament to unite the world — prove it by sanctioning Argentina for the pariah they are.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge.

Side-note, England play Argentina at Rugby later today and tensions are already rising…

Venezuela’s official death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck the country on June 24 has surpassed 5,000 and could climb much higher.

New footage of the June 24th earthquake in La Guaira shows multiple buildings collapsing #Venezuela pic.twitter.com/hq1ywikhpA

— CNW (@ConflictsW) July 11, 2026

Poorly constructed multifamily housing complexes, built with low-quality materials under the socialist government’s mass-housing programs, collapsed “like sandcastles” when the quakes hit the coastal state of La Guaira.

The devastating earthquakes in Venezuela exposed exactly how the socialist government built housing for their people. Look at this video from La Guaira.

The buildings in the Misión Vivienda program were constructed using expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels coated with a thin layer… pic.twitter.com/N4qLX7W3Xa

— Maila Maria Rosa (@MailaMariaRosa) June 28, 2026

The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes struck within seconds of each other, devastating Chávez-era socialist housing projects in La Guaira and reducing buildings to rubble.

As the Spanish daily newspaper ABC recently reported, “The explanation given by engineers and construction specialists is that low-quality materials were used in the Chavista Housing Mission, without supervision and without the application of anti-seismic standards.”

Aerial footage shows the widespread destruction across La Guaira, Venezuela.
pic.twitter.com/KVUrstkx97

— Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) June 25, 2026

Local authorities reported 16,740 injuries and said that more than 6,400 people had been rescued from the rubble. The death toll surpassed 5,000 on Friday, while the United Nations estimates that more than 50,000 people remain missing.

2/
The UN estimates as many as 50,000 people may still be missing. Nearly 17,000 are wounded, and more than 21,000 are living in shelters. Recovery could cost $37 billion — while Venezuela’s own funds sit frozen abroad.

— CEPR (@ceprdc) July 17, 2026

On Friday, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said that Venezuela has drawn on $346 million of its own reserves at the International Monetary Fund to begin reconstruction projects in the quake-ravaged region.

“My heart is with the people of Venezuela,” IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a post on X.

Supporting ongoing disaster relief efforts, the US military has shifted ships, rotary-wing aircraft, cargo planes, and amphibious landing craft to deliver vital supplies directly to damaged coastal infrastructure.

Racing the clock and clearing bottlenecks to help save lives in Venezuela:
Since mobilizing to Simón Bolívar International Airport in the aftermath of the earthquakes, the @usairforce Contingency Response Element (CRE) has been vital in accelerating the flow of critical relief… pic.twitter.com/pfIgvmFx8N

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) July 17, 2026

US military forces supporting Venezuela’s disaster response are helping stabilize the country after the devastating quake.

Still, the deployment is notable: US troops are now positioned inside Venezuela just as US military activity around Cuba could intensify, amid rumors of a potential invasion (read here).

Summary:

• Questions Swirl Whether Ecoterrorism May Have Accelerated Wildfires 
• Economic Activity Impacted in Some States 
• WaPo Warns Smoke Plume To Worsen 
• GOP Members Blast Canada Over Toxic Smoke; Sanction Bill Against Canada Set To Be Introduced  
• Toxic Smoke Plume Over Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast 
• Canada’s Wildfire Management Failures Choke Millions Of Americans With Toxic Smoke

GOP Sen. Prepares Sanctions Bill On Lefties in Canada  

Toxic Wildfire Smoke Begins To Disrupt Local Economic Activity As GOP Senator Readies Canada Sanctions Bill

The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang reports that deteriorating air quality across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast could be “as bad as or worse than during the historic 2023 wildfire event.”

“It could get worse before it gets better,” Capital Weather warned.

VERY UNHEALTHY: DC among cities with worst air on earth this morning. 😖

Air quality as bad or worse than during historic 2023 wildfire event. Could get worse before it gets better.

We’ll have updates through the day: https://t.co/IvQi50uJhU pic.twitter.com/k1bchBctgR

— Capital Weather (@capitalweather) July 17, 2026

Spending a full day outdoors in Washington, D.C., or New York City is equivalent to smoking roughly 10 cigarettes, according to health experts.

The economic toll is already mounting. For example, Six Flags Great America in Illinois closed on Friday because of “hazardous” air quality. 

NEW: Six Flags Great America is CLOSED today, Friday July 17, according to an update on the park website.

Air conditions are still in the “hazardous” category under EPA limits due to Canadian wildfire smoke in the @SFGreat_America area.

The Hurricane Harbor Chicago and… pic.twitter.com/jaPb22huQc

— Marcus Leshock (@marcusleshock) July 17, 2026

More disruptions.

JUST IN: Cedar Point has CLOSED EARLY due to the Canadian wildfire smoke that rolled into the Sandusky, Ohio area today.

The amusement park made the announcement and posted this statement:

“Due to the poor air quality caused by the Canadian wildfires, @CedarPoint will be… pic.twitter.com/PRnFbky980

— Marcus Leshock (@marcusleshock) July 16, 2026

Wildfire smoke in Pennsylvania: What’s closed in the Pittsburgh region? https://t.co/bot8BjCF4Y pic.twitter.com/t1ws1X9ldR

— WPXI (@WPXI) July 17, 2026

Dutch Wonderland amusement park announced it will be closed on Friday due to air quality concerns amid ongoing high Canadian wildfire smoke levels. pic.twitter.com/7xFeqQvka5

— CBS 21 News (@CBS21NEWS) July 17, 2026

“Canada is burning: 700+ active wildfires, 8.2 million acres already destroyed. Smoke choking North America again. This doesn’t feel like normal wildfire season anymore. It feels like a war on our forests,” Our Country Our Choice wrote on X. Notably, OCOC is run by retired US Army Col. Douglas Macgregor. 

Canada is burning: 700+ active wildfires, 8.2 million acres already destroyed.
Smoke choking North America again.
This doesn’t feel like normal wildfire season anymore.
It feels like a war on our forests. pic.twitter.com/BYq9iAVopw

— Our Country Our Choice (@OCOCReport) July 17, 2026

Could the toxic smoke plume derail World Cup games? 

Wildfire smoke could become one of the biggest weather stories surrounding Sunday’s World Cup Final.

Air quality is already Unhealthy (red) in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Think of it like spending hours downwind of a campfire.

You’re breathing in tiny smoke particles that… pic.twitter.com/fQCsGCKMUF

— MyRadar Weather (@MyRadarWX) July 17, 2026

Earlier, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) said he will “introduce a bill next week to sanction Canada and the responsible Canadian government officials for this atrocity.”

Ohio Sen. Moreno To Introduce Bill To Sanction Canada Over Wildfire Smoke 

Canada’s Wildfire Management Failures Choke Millions Of Americans With Toxic Smoke 

Canada’s wildfire management policies are once again falling short, as toxic smoke plumes blanket much of the northeastern US and drive air pollution to dangerously high levels. 

Another wave of dense wildfire smoke is forecast to reach New York and New England on Thursday afternoon and evening before it surges into the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday night.

Thick, unhealthy smoke is expected in D.C. on Friday, with some reaching Virginia and North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/ZDqDEYAgQq

— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) July 16, 2026

Air quality readings in cities including Detroit, Milwaukee, and Toledo exceeded 500, well above the 300 threshold considered unsafe. Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and Toronto also recorded unsafe levels, while conditions in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York deteriorated into unhealthy territory.

BREAKING: Due to Canadian wildfire smoke, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis now represent 3 of the 4 worst major cities for air quality on the entire planet. pic.twitter.com/zxyqEV2J4w

— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) July 16, 2026

WILDFIRE SMOKE has made its way to Chicago this morning.

The air condition is extremely poor, as seen in this shot near Grant Park. You can see how much smoke has made its way down from the Canadian wildfires.

It’s going to be a tough day when it comes to doing anything… pic.twitter.com/vXByYP8QI8

— Marcus Leshock (@marcusleshock) July 16, 2026

Detroit, Michigan now has the worst air quality of any major city on Earth due to Canadian wildfire smoke.

If exposed to the current air quality in the city for 24 hours, it would be the equivalent to smoking about 21 cigarettes. pic.twitter.com/xijW3eDhf1

— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) July 16, 2026

The haze and wildfire smoke made for some surreal shots this morning on the Bay @FOXBaltimore pic.twitter.com/O8qUyPvPDF

— Alex Parker (@ParkerSports) July 16, 2026

Smoke from the northern Minnesota / Canadian wildfires landing at MSP airport. #mnwx @spann pic.twitter.com/yQu7dtArS8

— Brett LaBare (@1labare) July 16, 2026

At this time of year, smoke from Canadian wildfires usually pours into the US, exposing tens of millions of Americans to dangerous air quality.

The recurring cross-border pollution is Canada’s repeated failure to address wildfire prevention and mitigation adequately.

Blanket of smoke from the Canadian wildfire rolling into Chicago. pic.twitter.com/Ust87p47f8

— Richard Roeper (@RichardERoeper) July 16, 2026

“Canada continues to fail to manage its forests. Controlled burns, thinning and clearing debris would go a long way toward preventing this from happening every summer,” the conservative environmental nonprofit American Conservation Coalition wrote on X. 

Canada continues to fail to manage their forests.

Controlled burns + thinning + clearing debris would go a long way in preventing this from happening every summer. https://t.co/inQwdcONQK

— American Conservation Coalition (@ACC_National) July 16, 2026

It should be investigated whether arson or inadequate forest management has contributed to the wildfire chaos in Canada, which is imposing major health risks on the US. Much of the left-wing media points to climate change, while rarely covering forest management failures.

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News,

A British woman out for a long countryside hike with her daughters found herself being shadowed by a creepy migrant male for miles.

The footage is clinical, relentless, and deeply unsettling. No confrontation is shown. No words are exchanged on camera. Just the steady pursuit across English fields and paths that once felt like the safest places in the country.

This is the England being delivered by successive governments that treat rural communities as dumping grounds for unchecked military aged foreigners.

?? Meanwhile in the English Countryside

Imagine being followed like this on a 10 mile Hike. This is England now. pic.twitter.com/CNMytntV8U

— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) July 17, 2026

In an instagram post, the woman wrote “This is what it’s come to. Yesterday, in broad day light; I was out with my 3 little girls and this guy appears from no where, we were literally in the middle of a field and he just popped up and followed us until I managed to get us on the road where he then just stood and watched us.”

She added, “My heart was racing as he was pretty close until he saw I was filming. My girls were absolutely petrified, I kept telling them, don’t be scared, don’t look back, just keep going. No one should be made to feel like this and we should be able to walk around, where we live without having to look over our shoulders, especially in broad day light.”

Here are the original clips with a further commentary on the incident from the woman who says the migrant was making sexual noises at them.

View this post on Instagram – A post shared by Alicia King (@aliciaking1985)

View this post on Instagram – A post shared by Alicia King (@aliciaking1985)

The clip, shared widely this week, lands at the exact moment other stories reveal the same pattern. At Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, male detainees were caught peering into women’s bedrooms from outside.

A review by the Chief Inspector of Prisons found groups of men hanging outside the windows of female rooms. Forty-three per cent of the women, who need constant chaperones, said they felt unsafe going outside.

One woman told inspectors: “We cannot go outside because of the males and our time to do things are quick because of them.”

The centre was also holding a man assessed as a risk of harm to women and another with impending prosecutions for sexual offences.

Vile illegal migrants caught on camera looking into women’s bedroomshttps://t.co/ZnImlTXmaz

— GB News (@GBNEWS) July 14, 2026

The few female asylum seekers there were so distressed by the behaviour that staff escorts became standard. The men, according to the report, asked inspectors why they were not allowed to “mix with female detainees.”

This is the same system now preparing to drop large numbers of single adult males into quiet English villages with almost no consultation.

In the tiny Oxfordshire village of Piddington, population around 370, residents recently voted 96 per cent in favour of a symbolic independence referendum. Nearly 180 adults cast ballots. One hundred and seventy-five said yes.

The trigger was the Home Office plan to house up to 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers at a former Ministry of Defence site sitting between Piddington and Upper Arncott.

Utility companies have already been instructed to prepare connections. Work is eyed for late summer. No detailed public proposal or full impact assessment has been published.

Parish Council Chairman Tim McNally described the result as “truly astonishing.” He said: “Self-determination is what people want whilst they are being ignored and driven into a corner. This is a natural human instinct and reaction.”

Local resident Graham Rixon put it more bluntly: “We’re a village of 350 people – there’s another village down the road of even less people, and they’re going to dump 1,200 people here.”

He added that most would probably not speak the language and that “inadequate provision has been made.” Another resident, Gwen McEwan from nearby Arncott, called the prospect “frightening.”

The site sits next to a children’s play area. The nearest shop is more than two miles away with no pavement along the B-road. Residents note that people currently walk the village at night without consequence. That comfort is precisely what is being put at risk.

Similar plans have targeted other small communities. In one case a village of just 150 people faced 121 migrants placed in new-build houses next to a playground and primary school. Teenage girls began taking longer routes home.

In Barnham, Suffolk, a village of 600 faces over 1,000 asylum seekers at a disused RAF site two minutes from a primary school.

Residents have started teaching children to lock doors and stay quiet. Fencing already has holes.

In Crowborough, East Sussex, locals formed volunteer security patrols after hundreds of single male asylum seekers arrived at a former training camp. Women began carrying personal alarms and taking self-defence classes in daylight. One volunteer described the patrols as “a visible presence to provide safety and security. We are a deterrent.”

The pattern is consistent. Single adult males, many arriving illegally by boat, are moved out of hotels and into rural sites with minimal infrastructure and even less local say.

Projections show migrants absorbing a large share of new housing while British households remain on long social housing waiting lists.

The policy is sold as ending the “hotel” image. In practice it simply relocates the same pressures onto communities that never asked for them and lack the policing or services to absorb sudden demographic change.

Rural England was once defined by the freedom to walk its paths without looking over your shoulder. That freedom is being eroded by design. The government treats small villages as surplus capacity.

The safety of women and children is treated as secondary to the political imperative of dispersing arrivals as quickly and quietly as possible.

Piddington’s near-unanimous vote will not legally detach the village from the United Kingdom. It does something more important. It records, in public, the precise moment ordinary people decided they would no longer pretend this is sustainable.

The English countryside is not a warehouse. The people who live there are not collateral.

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

Kuwait was bombarded overnight in one of the fiercest Iranian retaliatory strikes since the US-Iran conflict erupted in late February, with missiles and one-way drones targeting power infrastructure and other critical energy assets.

Local outlet Kuwait News Agency reports an unspecified site of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation suffered “significant material losses” as the week-long flare-up in Gulf tensions has derailed any near-term normalization of tanker flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

There was a report that the Al-Subiya power station was struck. This marks the second attack on Kuwaiti power infrastructure in just days, after a transformer at the Zour South electricity and desalination complex was hit on Friday.

Authorities disconnected several power-generating units as a precaution and urged residents to conserve electricity. A Kuwaiti army base was also struck during the latest escalation, injuring several personnel.

Second Iranian strike in two days hit a Kuwaiti power/desalination plant, sparking a fire.

A similar plant was hit yesterday.

Strikes are part of Iran’s ongoing campaign against US military sites in Kuwait (Ali Al Salem base and others).

Kuwait relies on desalination for ~90%… pic.twitter.com/EyTPOwTIsM

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 18, 2026

On March 2, we warned: 

• Airports, Data Centers, Skyscrapers, & Power Plants: Are Desalination Plants Next Targets In U.S.-Iran War

Bahrain and Jordan intercepted Iranian missiles and drones. The overnight barrage followed a seventh consecutive night of US strikes targeting Iranian surveillance sites, weapons storage, logistics infrastructure and maritime offensive capabilities as the Department of War seeks to erode Tehran’s leverage on the Hormuz waterway.

As of late Friday, the previous US-Iran wrap stated:

• Surge in more large US refueling planes headed to Mideast, signaling likely expansion of strikes on Iran.
• US attacks hit Iranian energy and transport infrastructure.
• Iran threatens stronger retaliation and claims strike on US base in Qatar – and deepens attacks to include US outposts in Jordan, Syria.
• Iran urges power conservation; Hormuz shipping traffic declines further.
• Oil prices rise to session highs on fears of broader regional conflict.

Brent chart

The latest Hormuz tanker transit data via Bloomberg shows that activity at the maritime chokepoint has all but ceased. This data is based on ships activating their transponders and doesn’t account for ships that ‘go dark’…

Latest overnight headlines (courtesy of Bloomberg):

US-Iran Escalation

• The US launched its seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran on Friday at 3 p.m. ET, aimed at degrading Iran’s military capabilities, including hitting bridges, energy infrastructure, and a port facility in southern Iran, according to Iranian state media.
• The conflict has intensified beyond military targets, with the US striking six road bridges and reports of attacks near Bushehr’s nuclear power plant and the province of Lorestan, raising fears of a return to full-scale war.
• The hostilities were triggered by an Iranian drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on June 25, just days after the US and Iran signed a preliminary ceasefire deal, setting off a chain of escalating attacks.
• Iran has threatened a “full-scale offensive” in response to US strikes, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining virtually closed as of Saturday.

Iran Attacks Kuwait

• Iran launched a heavy barrage on Kuwait on Saturday morning, striking a vital oil facility and causing significant material losses and injuries, according to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation via state news agency KUNA.
• Kuwait airport suspended flights following the Saturday attacks, which triggered multiple rounds of sirens from around dawn.
• Iran also struck a power and desalination plant and a transformer at the Zour South facility, causing a fire and marking Tehran’s first targeting of power infrastructure during the current escalation.
• Kuwait’s foreign ministry accused Iran of systematically targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure, saying it “endangers the lives and safety of civilians.”

Iran’s Counterstrikes

• Iran has been targeting US bases in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain in retaliation for US strikes. The IRGC claimed its 20th wave of “Nasr 2” operations destroyed several American aircraft at a US airbase in Jordan.
• US-sanctioned Iranian tankers are U-turning and zig-zagging in the Gulf of Oman as the US enforces an aggressive blockade of Iranian shipping, having redirected three merchant ships, boarded one vessel, and disabled a non-compliant tanker.

Energy Market Impact

• Crude oil prices surged sharply, posting their biggest rise since April, as fears of renewed escalation grew and shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slumped significantly.
• The Strait of Hormuz shutdown is expected to spark massive investments aimed at permanently reducing reliance on the chokepoint, restructuring global energy infrastructure and trade flows, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

This week has brought new US attacks on Iranian infrastructure and logistics, including fresh overnight attacks on some half a dozen bridges, and even reports of strikes on rail hubs and airports.

The New York Times observes Friday that “Bridges, rail lines, power and water facilities, and other targets in Iran, Kuwait and elsewhere in the Middle East were attacked in airstrikes on Friday as the United States and Iran escalated their weeklong crisis over the Strait of Hormuz.”

Russia has chimed in, reiterating that its close relations with Tehran offer the country which is now under American bombs and important economic lifeline.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in fresh remarks at a press conference following talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov reminded his audience that the backbone of Russia-Iran trade remains the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a network of shipping lanes, railways, and roads linking Russia with more southerly Asian continent allies.

This ‘north-south corridor’ as it is sometimes reference, will become all the more important as the US-Iran conflict drags on with no end in sight.

“The topic is indeed very important, especially in a situation where the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is dragging on, as it appears. The global economy and global transport routes are suffering from this,” Lavrov stated.

According to more via Russian media:

Lavrov expressed optimism about the trilateral project involving Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, noting that Tehran has completed land allocation on the Rasht-Astara section, which had long prevented construction from starting. Railway chiefs from the three countries have discussed practical issues for beginning work, and progress is expected, he added.

The North-South transport corridor is a multimodal route of about 7,200 kilometers (4,473 miles) connecting St. Petersburg to India’s Mumbai port. Russia and Iran signed an agreement in May 2023 to build the Rasht-Astara railway section, the last missing link of the corridor’s western route, with the project estimated at 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion), of which 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) is a Russian loan.

As for the current situation in Iran, while vital infrastructure and even energy sites have indeed in many cases been obliterated, the lights are still on across the country, but the energy grid is coming under strain in the south of late.

🇮🇷Jembatan kereta api “Aq-Teke-Khan” di Kabupaten Aq Qala adalah koridor perkeretaapian strategis yang menghubungkan Iran dengan China dan Rusia telah dibuka kembali hanya empat hari setelah bentang tengahnya rusak parah akibat serangan udara AS. pic.twitter.com/bqnRnGi2QV

— Z Operation (@yo2thok) July 14, 2026

The prior ceasefire which has this week clearly collapsed saw multiple damaged rail lines and bridges get restored in record time – sometimes within 40 to 96 hours – using domestic engineering teams. These efforts have showcased by pro-Iran and even sometimes official diplomatic accounts on X.