The United States has launched new military strikes on Iranian targets, breaking a multi-day ceasefire between the two countries. US forces acted as a direct response to an Iranian missile attack on US troops in Jordan, escalating existing tensions in the region.
According to reports, Iran fired missiles at US forces in Jordan on Wednesday, or Tuesday according to other media, while simultaneously attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes targeted dozens of sites belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Central Command (Centcom) confirmed. The strikes were described as "heavy" and represent a powerful response to previous Iranian provocations.
President Donald Trump had previously stated that Iran would be hit "very hard," and the operation was launched several hours after that promise. The military attacks lasted approximately one hour and began at 20:00 Eastern Time, corresponding to 01:00 BST on Thursday. This is part of a wider conflict that has been ongoing for five months, with Trump previously stating that the war should last only a few weeks.
The conflict expanded the day before these strikes, when the US and Saudi Arabia publicly announced joint strikes on Iranian proxies in Iraq for the first time. Axios reported that Trump met with Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, with Riyadh expressing a desire to de-escalate tensions. Prior to these strikes, both sides had halted attacks for several days while negotiations were reportedly restarted.
Tehran denied that any negotiations were taking place, while Trump described the talks as "very friendly." Meanwhile, the LNG tanker Al Areesh, operated by QatarEnergy, left the Strait of Hormuz on 29 July, becoming the first visible ship to pass through the strait since 11 July. Experts warn that previous strikes by both sides increase the risk of a return to full-scale war.
