Baghdad, Jul 30: The United States has launched military strikes on Iranian targets, a day after intercepting an Iranian missile attack aimed at American forces stationed in Jordan, marking a sharp escalation in tensions across the Middle East.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes began on Wednesday evening, describing them as “a powerful response” to Iran’s attempted attack on US forces. The operation follows Washington’s earlier joint airstrikes with Saudi Arabia on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
US President Donald Trump had vowed retaliation after Iran targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, a key hub for American troops in the region. Jordan’s military said it intercepted and destroyed five Iranian ballistic missiles, with no casualties or damage reported.
Meanwhile, drone strikes triggered fires aboard two natural gas vessels at Egypt’s Damietta port. British maritime security firm Ambrey said the attacks struck a US-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported, and responsibility for the strikes has not yet been established.
The renewed violence has raised fears of a wider regional conflict after several days of relative calm. It has also heightened concerns over global energy security, with Brent crude oil prices surging more than seven per cent to around $88 per barrel.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for launching ballistic missiles at the US base in Jordan, while the US and Saudi Arabia later carried out airstrikes on logistics and weapons facilities used by Iran-backed militias in eastern Iraq.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of mostly Shiite militias in Iraq, said at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 others injured in the strikes. Iraqi militia officials also claimed six Iranian military advisers were among those killed.
Iraq condemned the US-Saudi strikes, calling them a violation of its sovereignty. The office of Iraqi President Nizar Amidi termed the attacks “a blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty,” while Iraq’s National Security Council said the strikes occurred even as Baghdad was engaged in diplomatic efforts to address security concerns.
The latest escalation has also affected regional diplomacy, with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia being postponed indefinitely.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, remains engaged in renewed hostilities with Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and threatened shipping routes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Strait of Hormuz also remains a major flashpoint, with Iran reiterating that maritime traffic through the strategic waterway would not return to pre-war conditions, despite mediation efforts by regional countries including Oman.
Diplomatic efforts to restore a ceasefire and revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran continue, but regional officials say prospects remain bleak as both sides show little willingness to de-escalate the conflict.
