US-Iran tensions rose again after President Donald Trump threatened a strong response to Iran’s missile attack on a US base in Jordan.
The warning came just five days after Mr Trump halted his 13-day bombing campaign, while Iran also paused its retaliatory strikes against US interests in the Gulf. Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, Mr Trump said, “We’ll be hitting them hard,” but he did not reveal when any military action would begin.
Iran launched the missile attack on Tuesday while Mr Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Netanyahu has continued to support military action against Iran. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired several ballistic missiles in what it described as an attempted surprise attack on US forces in the Middle East. CENTCOM stated, “At 5:45 pm ET today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. US forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”
Al Jazeera reported that five missile interceptions took place over Jordan. The IRGC also confirmed the operation, saying it targeted a US airbase and a CENTCOM facility in Jordan “with several ballistic missiles.” It added, “As long as threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran continue and illegal and vicious actions by American forces against our interests continue, the resistance will continue.”
The latest US-Iran tensions followed joint US-Saudi Arabia strikes on Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), which killed 20 members of the Iran-linked armed group. CENTCOM said the operation responded to attacks by Iraqi militias on American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure. Saudi Arabia also intercepted drones aimed at oil facilities before a separate Houthi strike damaged Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery. The company expects repairs to finish and operations to resume by 15 August, while Saudi Arabia continues to reroute crude exports through Yanbu to avoid threats in the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed US-Iran tensions continue to raise concerns about wider instability across the region.
Do you think this latest escalation could trigger a broader conflict in the Middle East?
