Iran targeted American forces in the Middle East with ballistic missiles late Tuesday stateside, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said, raising tensions in the region again after the warring sides had briefly halted hostilities.
Centcom said in a post on X that the attack originated from Iran but all missiles were intercepted, stating that "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." The command did not specify the target location, though Axios reported the attack was directed at a U.S. base in Jordan, citing U.S. officials.
In a subsequent statement, Centcom said U.S. and Saudi forces struck "multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites" in eastern Iraq on Tuesday stateside, in retaliation for more than 30 drone attacks over the past three days by "Iran-aligned terrorists." Saudi Arabia's defence ministry confirmed the strikes were carried out in coordination with Centcom, adding that the kingdom does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces.
Riyadh had earlier said drones launched from Iraq by "Iran-affiliated terrorist militias" attempted to target petroleum facilities in Saudi Arabia. The Iran-backed Iraqi Mobilization Forces said in a statement that at least 20 of its members had been killed in the strikes and 32 wounded.
Background and Market Impact
- Tensions escalated after a two-day pause in hostilities between Washington and Tehran, sending oil prices surging following three straight days of declines.
- President Donald Trump had set aside plans to escalate the war against Iran amid concerns over diminishing stockpiles of Patriot interceptors and other air defense munitions in the region, according to The New York Times. Trump dismissed concerns over stockpile depletion.
- Iran had indicated it would halt attacks as long as the U.S. refrained from striking, Reuters reported Sunday, citing a senior Iranian official.
Separately, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported "suspicious activity" in the Red Sea, saying the master of a tanker reported hearing an explosion while transiting the southern Red Sea. The incident occurred Monday, with the advisory issued Tuesday. It remains unconfirmed whether Houthi rebels were responsible, though the group had claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the area last week, prompting Saudi retaliation.
The Bab-el Mandeb strait in the Red Sea is a critical export channel for Saudi Arabian oil diverted from the Strait of Hormuz and a chokepoint for commercial shipping traffic. Experts have warned that a closure of Bab el-Mandeb would block those barrels, worsening the oil disruption triggered by Iran's attacks on tankers in Hormuz.
Source: CNBC
