Iran says 116 communication towers disabled in US strikes on Hormozgan

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iran's Hormozgan Province Telecommunications Directorate said 116 communication towers were disabled in US airstrikes targeting internet lines, according to a statement released Saturday afternoon. Iranian authorities had earlier said a telecommunications official was killed and two people were wounded in a strike on Fervur Island, in the Bandar Lengeh district of Hormozgan, on July 12. The Hormozgan governorate said US forces struck 95 sites across 12 cities in the province over the past ten days, killing eight people. Iran's Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in airstrikes carried out through July 18. The United States launched its latest wave of strikes on the nights of July 7–8, targeting southern regions and infrastructure facilities. Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18, 2026, pausing military operations and opening negotiations toward a broader agreement. US President Donald Trump declared the arrangement over on July 8 after three ships were targeted in the Strait of Hormuz, and the US renewed strikes inside Iran. Washington is demanding freedom of navigation in the strait, while Tehran is pressing for a mechanism to regulate ship passages through the strategic waterway.