A sharp escalation is gripping the Middle East after missile and drone attacks on American bases and oil facilities triggered joint U.S.-Saudi strikes against pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, blunt threats from President Donald Trump, and peak regional tensions over trade and energy routes.
2+Against the backdrop of renewed fighting and a sharp spike in U.S.-Iran tensions, President Trump responded forcefully Wednesday in an interview with Fox News to an Iranian ballistic missile attack intercepted in Jordan, declaring that the United States will hit them with tremendous force.
The remarks come after a dramatic sequence of events, including Saudi Arabia’s formal entry into the fight alongside the U.S. with strikes against Shiite militias in Iraq following drone barrages, an Iranian rejection of compromise proposals on control of sea straits, and the freezing of high-level policy meetings between Iraqi and Saudi leaders.
2+The renewed confrontation in the region took on sweeping dimensions after the United States and Saudi Arabia launched a joint operation striking infrastructure and logistics sites of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, in response to more than 30 drone attacks directed at American forces and Saudi oil facilities over 72 hours. U.S. Central Command made clear that the Revolutionary Guards and their proxies must stop the attacks to avoid further American military response.
Responding to an Iranian ballistic missile attack intercepted overnight Tuesday into Wednesday in Jordan, President Trump told Fox News’ Trey Yingst, referring to the American response: “We’re going to kick their ass.” Trump sharpened the threat: “We’re going to hit them hard. They’re going to get hit.”
2+The president noted that American forces had only minutes to respond to the surprise attack and that the militias are “a cancer on the world.” Following the joint strikes, Iran’s Foreign Ministry sharply condemned the move, and the Iraqi militia “Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba” threatened that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia “will not be allowed to violate Iraqi soil without paying a heavy price.” Meanwhile, an American projectile reportedly struck the Iranian city of Piranshahr with no casualties, and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi canceled a planned meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the wake of the events.
On the economic and geopolitical front, the tension also found expression in Iran’s rejection of Oman’s proposal for joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran demanding full control of the waterways and threatening trade routes—driving oil prices up 4.6% and pushing Brent crude to around $88 per barrel. At the same time, U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper issued a sharp warning to troops in the region against sharing videos on social media (such as Meta glasses) that could help Iran conduct accurate damage assessments of its attacks, and even threatened a ban or confiscation of mobile phones at various bases.