The U.S. military has launched strikes against Iran, characterizing them as a "powerful response" to Iran's actions on Tuesday, which included firing on U.S. bases in Jordan and targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes mark an escalation after a brief period of reduced hostilities.
Earlier this week, the conflict saw joint U.S.-Saudi strikes against Iranian proxies in Iraq. U.S. Central Command (Centcom) stated these strikes targeted "multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours."
Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of Iran-backed Shia militias, reported that at least 20 of its members were killed in the U.S.-Saudi strikes on its bases. The Iraqi presidency condemned the bombing, calling it "an unacceptable attack and a blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty." However, President Trump stated that the strikes had been "co-ordinated with the Iraqi government."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for targeting a U.S. air base and a command center in Jordan, describing it as a response to the "acts of aggression of the American child-killing army." The IRGC also stated that its naval forces had struck three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz for allegedly ignoring warnings and sailing through the waterway on an "unsafe and illegal route."
Following days of relative calm, during which diplomatic talks were reportedly ongoing, both sides had halted strikes. President Trump had previously indicated an intent to retaliate for the attempted attacks on U.S. troops, stating, "We're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them."
The recent hostilities follow 13 consecutive nights of U.S. bombing operations targeting Iranian weapons and military sites, which reportedly resulted in numerous casualties. Saudi Arabia and Iran have been engaged in a long-standing regional power struggle.