In brief
The U.S. military began striking Iranian sites in response to an attempted surprise attack on U.S. troops in Jordan and vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Joint U.S.–Saudi attacks earlier this week targeted Iranian proxies in Iraq. President Trump vowed hard retaliation, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard blamed U.S. actions. The conflict, initially sparked in February, has now extended for five months with no resolution in sight. Both sides have reportedly paused strikes amid renewed diplomatic overtures.
The U.S. military says it has begun launching strikes against Iran in retaliation for an attempted surprise attack on American forces in the Middle East.
The U.S. Central Command ( CENTCOM ) announced on X that the strikes constitute a "powerful response" to Tuesday's firing by Iran on U.S. bases in Jordan and on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest round of hostilities followed the first publicly announced joint U.S.–Saudi strikes aimed at Iranian proxies in Iraq, which were launched last week.
When the U.S. and Israel hit Iranian targets in February, President Trump predicted that the war would last only a few weeks. It has now stretched for five months with no clear end in sight.
On Wednesday, Axios reported that Trump met with Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, who said Saudi Arabia wants to de‑escalate tensions. The White House has yet to comment.
The conflict reignited after several days of relative calm, when both sides paused strikes hoping diplomatic solutions would emerge. Trump described the talks as "very friendly negotiations," though Tehran denied any discussions were occurring.
Hours before the announced strikes on Wednesday, Trump vowed retaliation for Iran’s failed attack on U.S. troops a day earlier.
'We are going to hit them very hard because it is our turn to hit them. They know it is coming. They asked us not to do it' - President Trump to reporters at the White House.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted a U.S. air base and a command centre in Jordan "in response to the acts of aggression of the American child‑killing army". The IRGC also claimed naval forces struck three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they ignored warnings and used an alleged unsafe route.
Last Friday, Trump paused a 13‑night bombing campaign that targeted Iranian weapons and military sites, with casualties reported. On Tuesday, CENTCOM said U.S.–Saudi attacks hit "multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq" in response to over 30 IRGC‑directed drone attacks in the past 72 hours.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), dominated by Iran‑backed Shia militias, said at least 20 of its members were killed in U.S.–Saudi strikes on its bases. The Iraqi presidency condemned the bombings as a violation of sovereignty, calling it an unacceptable attack.
Trump assured Fox News that the strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government. Saudi Arabia, seeing itself as the leading Sunni power, continues to clash with Iran, the largest Shia country, in a decades‑long battle for regional dominance.
