Iran appeared to launch missiles toward US military bases in Jordan, according to local and Iranian media reports.
The reports said early on Wednesday that the missiles were fired toward US installations in the country, with air defence systems trying to intercept the incoming projectiles.
US publication Axios cited a US official as saying that the missiles were intercepted.
In a statement, the US Central Command said that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched missiles against US forces based in the region, without specifying the location.
“Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East,” CENTCOM said.
“All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”
On high alert
Both sides had held fire over the weekend, following nearly two weeks of nightly strikes by the US on Iran, and repeated missile and drone salvos by Tehran targeting Washington’s allies around the Gulf.
The mid-July flare-up in fighting came after several ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices had plummeted following the weekend lull in fighting and as US President Donald Trump said there was a “good chance” of progress in negotiations to end the war.
Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated in recent weeks, with Washington carrying out attacks on Iran and Tehran responding by targeting what it says are US military facilities and equipment in countries across the region.
Death toll from US-Saudi air strikes climbs to 20 in Iraq
Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU) have said joint US-Saudi strikes on bases across the country killed at least 20 of the paramilitary alliance members and wounded 32 in an escalation with Iran-backed armed groups.
“These attacks resulted in the martyrdom of a number of personnel and injuries to others, as well as material damage to several buildings and properties,” the alliance, known in Arabic as Hashd al Shaabi, said in a statement.
Casualties were also reported in other provinces, according to another official who confirmed the initial toll.
The United States and Saudi Arabia said the strikes targeted Iran-backed militants in response to attacks on US military personnel and Saudi oil facilities.
PMU condemns strikes as sovereignty violation
The PMU denounced the operation as “a dangerous escalation, a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, and an attack on its official security institutions.”
Created in 2014 to fight the Daesh terror group, the PMU was later integrated into Iraq’s armed forces. While several Iran-backed factions operate within the alliance, many retain independent command structures and have been linked to attacks on US interests in Iraq and across the region.
Saudi Arabia blamed Iran-backed groups in Iraq for launching drones targeting oil facilities in the kingdom’s east, saying its air defences intercepted the attack.
The armed groups denied responsibility, calling Riyadh’s accusations “fabrications” and warning against military action inside Iraq.
Iraq caught between Washington and Tehran
The latest strikes underscore Iraq’s continuing struggle to balance relations with its two key partners, the United States and Iran, whose rivalry has repeatedly turned the country into a battleground for proxy conflict.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who took office earlier this year, has pledged to bring pro-Iran armed groups under tighter state control and ensure they surrender their weapons, but has faced resistance from influential factions.
Zaidi visited both Washington and Tehran earlier this month in an effort to ease tensions and preserve Iraq’s fragile stability.
C. TRT World
