The United States has launched a new wave of air strikes against Iran after a brief pause in attacks, hitting dozens of military targets during a two-hour operation. The assault followed an Iranian missile attack aimed at US forces in Jordan and came one day after American and Saudi forces jointly struck Iran-aligned armed groups inside Iraq.
Two-hour operation targets Revolutionary Guards
US Central Command said the strikes began at 8pm on Wednesday in Washington and continued for approximately two hours. American aircraft targeted facilities belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including military command centres, missile and drone installations, coastal surveillance positions, air-defence sites and maritime capabilities.
Washington described the operation as a direct and powerful response to attempted Iranian attacks against US forces stationed across the Middle East. The Pentagon did not immediately provide a detailed assessment of damage or casualties resulting from the strikes.
Iranian missiles aimed at Jordan
Iran confirmed that it had fired ballistic missiles towards US military installations in Jordan. American officials said the missiles were intercepted before reaching their targets, while Jordan’s armed forces reported shooting down five Iranian missiles that entered or approached the kingdom’s airspace.
President Donald Trump promised retaliation after being informed of the attack, telling reporters that the United States would hit Iran “very hard”. He said it was Washington’s turn to respond but continued to suggest that a negotiated settlement with Tehran remained possible.
US military facilities in Jordan have become increasingly important targets during the conflict. Three American service personnel have reportedly been killed in earlier attacks on bases in the country this month, representing the heaviest US military losses since March.
Saudi Arabia joins strikes in Iraq
The latest attack on Iran followed an unprecedented joint operation by the United States and Saudi Arabia against Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq. US Central Command said the groups had been directed by the Revolutionary Guards to attack American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella organisation containing several powerful Iran-backed paramilitary groups, said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded. Some of these formations are formally incorporated into Iraq’s state security system, complicating Washington’s description of them solely as militant organisations.
The Iraqi presidency condemned the strikes as a violation of national sovereignty while also calling on armed groups to stop using Iraqi territory for attacks against neighbouring countries.
Conflict expands across the region
The fighting is increasingly affecting countries beyond Iran, Israel and Lebanon. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen has declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, while Iran said it had attacked three tankers attempting to travel through the Strait of Hormuz.
A suspected drone strike also caused fires aboard vessels at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, including a US-owned gas storage tanker. Egypt confirmed the fire but did not identify its cause, while maritime investigators said responsibility for the suspected attack remained unclear.
Diplomatic pause gives way to escalation
The renewed US strikes ended a short pause that had raised limited hopes of renewed diplomacy. A temporary ceasefire negotiated earlier in the conflict had already collapsed amid fighting over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices moved above $90 a barrel as markets reacted to the prospect of further disruption to Gulf shipping and energy infrastructure. With Saudi Arabia now participating directly in operations and Iraq becoming a battlefield, the risk of a wider regional war has increased substantially.
Claims from the different governments and armed groups involved could not all be independently verified.
Newshub Editorial in Asia – 30 July 2026
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