Tensions are flaring again in the Middle East: Hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan, U.S. Central Command announced overnight Tuesday that it carried out coordinated strikes with the Saudi military against pro-Iranian militia targets in eastern Iraq.
1+According to Central Command, the strikes targeted logistics sites and weapons depots belonging to militias that Washington says were directed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to attack American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure. The operation came in response to more than 30 drone attacks over the past 72 hours against U.S. forces and Saudi oil facilities, the command said, adding that all attempts to hit American forces failed.
Meanwhile, Saudi Defense Ministry spokesman Turki al-Maliki confirmed that the Saudi Air Force participated in the strikes in coordination with the U.S. military, and said the targets were linked to militias that carried out the recent attacks on the kingdom’s oil facilities. He stressed that Saudi Arabia is not seeking escalation but will respond to any aggression directed against it under its right to self-defense.
1+Shortly before the strikes, Central Command reported that Iran had fired several ballistic missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan. All the missiles were intercepted and no casualties or damage were reported. It marks Iran’s first direct strike on a U.S. base since President Donald Trump ordered a halt to military operations against Iran last week to allow diplomatic efforts to continue.