Iran fires missile at US base in Jordan; US, Saudi forces strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq

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The US military struck locations around Iran's Qeshm island and Abadan city, Iranian media reported on Thursday citing regional authorities, as American attacks resumed after a lull.

"At 04:00 am (0030 GMT) a point near Qeshm was attacked by the American enemy military," said Ahmad Nafisi, the deputy governor of the southern Hormozgan province, according to news agency Mehr.

"Points around Abadan city were attacked by missiles by the terrorist enemy of America," the Fars news agency reported, citing the deputy governor of Khuzestan.

US and Saudi forces launched joint strikes targeting Iran-backed groups across Iraq. The operation destroyed logistics and weapons sites, killing at least four IRGC members and 20 PMF fighters.

Washington and Riyadh cited recent drone attacks on US troops and Saudi oil infrastructure as the reason for the bombardment.

The US military is carrying out airstrikes in Iran, according to a report Wednesday by Axios citing a US official, amid a weeks-long escalation of hostilities centred on control of the Strait of Hormuz. The development comes as part of an ongoing US campaign of strikes against Iranian military targets that has stretched for multiple consecutive nights in recent weeks. US Central Command has repeatedly described the operations as efforts to degrade Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping and threaten navigation in the vital waterway.

Tensions have surged over Iran's attempts to assert greater control over the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of global oil trade. Iran has targeted commercial vessels, including US-escorted tankers, prompting US retaliation with airstrikes on Iranian air defenses, missile sites, ports, command centers and infrastructure such as bridges.

President Donald Trump has warned of expanded strikes on Iranian infrastructure if attacks on shipping continue, while both sides have engaged in tit-for-tat actions, including Iranian missile launches toward U.S. positions in the region.

A fragile pause in strikes was reported earlier, but exchanges have continued. No immediate confirmation or details on the latest strikes were available from US Central Command or the White House in the hours following the Axios report. Iranian state media has previously reported civilian casualties and damage from US operations, claims the US has denied, saying strikes target military assets. The conflict risks broader regional instability and disruptions to global energy markets.

US President Donald Trump vowed to hit back hard at Iran after it attacked US bases in Jordan on Wednesday, as the Middle East war reignited and again drew in the Islamic republic's proxies.

The warning came after a lull in the fighting -- which had spurred hopes of a return to negotiations -- appeared to end, sending oil prices jumping five percent over fears of disruptions to global supplies.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced strikes on militant bases in Iraq, while US ally Israel accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of a truce violation. 

For two days, the world's biggest oil exporter Saudi Arabia has reported drone attacks targeting crude facilities that it blamed on Iraqi armed groups allied with Tehran.

Iran meanwhile launched missiles at US ally Jordan, with Iranian state media later reporting an American attack near the Islamic republic's border with Iraq.

Trump told Fox News: "We'll be hitting them hard...We are going to beat the 'effing s' out of them."

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement is reportedly considering charging commercial vessels transit fees to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and, ultimately, the Suez Canal. The proposal is still under discussion and has not yet been formally implemented, according to sources familiar with the matter.

According to latest news report, the Houthis are discussing charging commercial ships for passage through the southern Red Sea, establishing a regulatory authority to administer the fees, reportedly with assistance from Iranian advisers, and potentially exempting Chinese-flagged or China-linked vessels following diplomatic contacts between Beijing and the Houthis.

The Bab al-Mandab Strait is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. An estimated 10-15% of global seaborne trade and a significant share of oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally transit this route. Any additional costs, restrictions, or security risks could:

US President Donald Trump stated he would be "quite disappointed" if China supplied weapons to Iran.

Reaffirming Chinese President Xi Jinping's explicit promise that Beijing would not sell arms to Tehran, Trump described reports of Iran receiving up to 400 Chinese shoulder-fired missiles as "surprising".

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces continue to enforce Washington's naval blockade against Iran, announcing that as of July 29 they had redirected 20 commercial vessels, disabled two vessels and boarded two others.

In an update posted on X, CENTCOM said the blockade is aimed at preventing maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports while allowing commercial shipping to continue transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

According to CENTCOM, the operation is supported by a range of US military assets, including aircraft carriers, guided-missile destroyers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, fixed-wing fighter jets, military helicopters and embarked US Marines trained in maritime interdiction operations.

The command said the blockade is being enforced against vessels of all nationalities entering or leaving Iranian ports. However, it stressed that freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains in place for commercial ships that are not sailing to or departing from Iranian ports.

The United States on Wednesday announced new sanctions targeting entities linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards that it accused of extorting ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

An "extortion scheme" backed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard "forces commercial vessels to purchase mandatory maritime 'insurance' to transit the Strait," the US Treasury Department said in a statement.

"These entities manufacture risk - including the threat of vessel seizures - and then charge commercial vessels for coverage against dangers created by the regime itself," a parallel State Department statement said.

Washington also sanctioned eight companies operating ships that it accused of transporting Iranian crude oil and petrochemicals, in violation of other US sanctions.

These ships are "part of Iran's 'shadow fleet,' which the regime relies on to evade sanctions," the State Department said.

The US will continue to hold Iran accountable for weaponizing vital international waterways and evading sanctions through shadow fleet operations and deceptive financial schemes, the State Department says.

⁠Protecting navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz is a global interest, and the United States will act, alongside partners, to ensure Iran cannot hold international commerce hostage to finance its malign activities, it adds.

"We will continue working with allies to isolate the regime diplomatically and economically until it ceases its destabilizing behavior," State Department Spokesman Tommy Pigott says.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has dismissed Iran's claims that commercial vessels should follow routes designated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway and that the IRGC "has no authority to dictate routes for free and open traffic flow."

The statement comes after Iran recently threatened and allegedly attempted to attack commercial vessels and merchant mariners passing through the strategic shipping lane.

CENTCOM said commercial shipping continues to transit the strait with US military support. According to the command, US forces have assisted about 1,000 vessels carrying around 500 million barrels of crude oil through the narrow waterway since early May.

A powerful alliance of pro-Iran armed groups warned on Wednesday that a response to the deadly US-Saudi strikes in Iraq was "inevitable".

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has targeted US facilities hundreds of times during the Middle East war, said "our response to the American enemy is inevitable, and may target its tools in Saudi Arabia".

US-Saudi strikes on the Hashed al-Shaabi, an armed Iraqi alliance that includes pro-Iran groups, killed five Iranian advisers, two sources from the alliance told AFP on Wednesday.

AFP correspondents saw coffins wrapped in Iranian flags during a funeral organised by the Hashed al-Shaabi in Baghdad for those killed. The sources said the Iranians died in a strike in the central Diyala province.

Iraq vowed on Wednesday to defend its sovereignty and to prevent its territory from being used against neighbouring countries following deadly US-Saudi strikes on the country.

Iraq's Ministerial Council for National Security said it "decided to adopt a comprehensive security plan to strengthen control across the country, confront any violation of Iraq's sovereignty, and prevent any source from using Iraqi territory to threaten neighboring states".

A minister in Yemen's internationally recognised government told AFP on Wednesday that Houthi rebels were working with Iran to charge ships to transit the Red Sea, threatening another waterway after Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Red Sea's narrow maritime artery has been a critical route for delivering Saudi crude to the international market after Iranian attacks and threats choked off Gulf energy exports via Hormuz.

Information minister Moammar al-Eryani told AFP that the move was "a dangerous escalation aimed at transforming one of the world's most strategic maritime corridors into a permanent source of funding for the militia's military and terrorist activities".

Eryani said the assessment was provided by recently obtained "confirmed intelligence" indicating that Iran's Revolutionary Guards were helping manage the effort.

US-Saudi strikes on Iraq on Wednesday killed at least 20 members of the Hashed al-Shaabi, an armed Iraqi alliance that includes pro-Iran groups, the alliance said.

The United States and Saudi Arabia said they had struck Iran-backed militants in Iraq in response to attacks on US forces and Saudi oil facilities.

Washington and Tehran are Iraq's main allies, but their enmity has long turned the country into a proxy battleground and left successive governments struggling to maintain a delicate balance between the foes.

The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the hostile attack targeting the brotherly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with a drone.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that this hostile attack constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Jordan and a threat to its security and stability.

The Ministry reiterated the UAE’s full solidarity with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and its support for all measures aimed at safeguarding its security and stability.

President Donald Trump vowed to hit back hard at Iran after it attacked US bases in Jordan on Wednesday, as the Middle East war reignited and once again drew in the Islamic republic's proxies.

The warning came after a short lull in the fighting that had spurred hopes of a return to negotiations appeared to draw to an end, sending oil prices jumping five percent over fears of disruptions to global supplies.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced strikes on militant bases in Iraq, while US ally Israel accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of a truce violation.

For two days, the world's biggest oil exporter Saudi Arabia has reported drone attacks targeting crude facilities that it blamed on Iraqi armed groups allied with Tehran.

Iran meanwhile launched missiles at US ally Jordan, with state media later reporting an American attack near the Islamic republic's border with Iraq.

"We'll be hitting them hard. They're going to get a beating," Fox News's correspondent quoted Trump as saying, adding that the US president used swear words to emphasise his point: "We are going to beat the 'effing s' out of them."

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that US-Saudi bombing of pro-Iranian militias overnight inside Iraq had been coordinated with the authorities in Baghdad, Fox News reported.

Trump "says those strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government," a Fox correspondent said after speaking with the US leader.

Trump's reported assertion came as Iraq's presidency denounced the US-Saudi attacks as a "blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty."

The Israeli military accused Hezbollah of a "blatant violation of the ceasefire" in Lebanon on Wednesday, saying the Iran-backed militant group had fired a drone at an Israeli vehicle there.

The army said the incident took place in a strip of territory where Israeli forces are operating that runs around 10 kilometres (six miles) deep inside southern Lebanon along its border with Israel.

"Overnight (Wednesday), Hezbollah launched an explosive drone toward an IDF engineering vehicle in the area of Ali al-Taher Ridge within the Security Zone," the military said in a statement, calling the incident "a blatant violation of the ceasefire".

The Iraqi presidency on Wednesday condemned the US-Saudi strikes that targeted the Popular Mobilization Forces, or Hashed al-Shaabi, an armed Iraqi alliance that includes powerful pro-Iran factions.

The presidency, which did not name the United States and Saudi Arabia, said it "denounces the bombing that targeted the Hashed al-Shaabi bases and it considers it an unacceptable attack and a blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty, targeting its official institutions". It also said it rejects the use of Iraqi territory to launch attacks on neighbouring countries.

Daily monitoring data shows an uptick in transit volumes through two of the world's most closely watched maritime chokepoints, with 12 confirmed crossings recorded in the Strait of Hormuz and 41 in the Bab el-Mandeb on 28 July, according to ship-tracking data ⁠from analytics firm Kpler.

Analysts caution against reading the higher traffic as a sign of easing risk. In the Strait of Hormuz, vessel routing remains concentrated outside traditional traffic separation patterns — a deviation flagged as a key indicator to watch. In the Bab El Mandeb, operational and compliance challenges persist, driven by dark transits, sanctioned vessels and shadow fleet movements.

The International Maritime Organization has recorded 62 confirmed maritime security incidents as of 27 July, with geopolitical tensions in the region still unresolved. Against that backdrop, vessel behaviour remains the more meaningful signal for assessing risk.

For operators and markets, the key indicators to track over the coming days remain unchanged: transparency of vessel activity, routing choices, and any emerging disruptions.

Bahrain has condemned what it described as repeated drone attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, blaming Iran-backed militias operating from Iraq and calling the incidents a serious threat to regional security.

In a statement, Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attacks represented a "dangerous escalation" and violated international law and efforts to reduce tensions in the region.

The ministry reaffirmed Bahrain's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and backed the Kingdom's right to take measures to defend its sovereignty and security, including responding to the source of the attacks in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and international law.

Bahrain added that Saudi Arabia's security and stability are an integral part of Bahrain's national and Gulf collective security.

Pakistan has called for immediate de-escalation in the Middle East, urging all parties to exercise restraint and honour their commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

Addressing the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, reiterated Islamabad's support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries across the region.

He also condemned attacks on Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping, saying such actions threaten regional security and global trade. Ahmad said Pakistan was concerned by attempts to draw Saudi Arabia into the conflict and reaffirmed the country's support for the Kingdom's security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity.

US-Saudi strikes on Iraq on Wednesday killed at least 20 members of a former paramilitary alliance that includes pro-Iran groups, the alliance said.

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an alliance of former paramilitary groups and factions now integrated into the Iraqi armed forces, said at least 20 fighters "were martyred and another 32 wounded according to a preliminary toll" following the US-Saudi strikes on its bases in seven provinces.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al Zaidi has ordered an emergency meeting of the National Security Council following airstrikes that targeted the country on Wednesday morning.

The Security Media Cell said the meeting was called in response to developments in the security situation and the latest strikes.

A detailed statement on the developments and decisions taken during the meeting will be issued later, the statement added.

Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah held a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud to discuss regional developments and efforts to enhance security and stability.

During the call, the two ministers reviewed the latest situation in the region and discussed diplomatic efforts to ensure the safety and freedom of maritime navigation, Kuwait's Foreign Ministry said.

At least 10 members of an Iraqi former paramilitary alliance were killed in US-Saudi strikes on their bases in the country, two alliance sources told AFP.

The strikes hit positions belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi, or the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), "across several provinces, with the deadliest attack in Nineveh province, where at least 10 members were killed," an official said, adding that the toll will likely rise.

Injuries were reported in other provinces, he added. Another official confirmed the initial toll.

Jordan's armed forces said air defences intercepted and destroyed five missiles launched from Iran towards the Kingdom early Wednesday.

The official spokesperson for the Jordanian Armed Forces said the missiles were detected through the country's monitoring and tracking system before being engaged by air defence units.

The spokesperson said the missiles were intercepted in accordance with established rules of engagement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had an "excellent" meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, their first sit-down since launching a joint war against Iran and it offered Netanyahu a chance to smooth out strains in their relationship.

The closed-door meeting lasted nearly an hour and a half and was "positive and productive," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Trump, in a social media posting several hours after the talks, called it a "very good meeting" where "many important subjects were discussed" but offered no further details.

The face-to-face talks come as both leaders face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.

An Israeli official briefed on the White House meeting said Netanyahu made it clear to Trump and his Cabinet that if Iran were to attack Israel, they would respond, but that beyond that, they would trust the judgment of the president regarding next steps. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of a private meeting.

Despite signs of tension between the two before the meeting, Netanyahu was effusive afterward in a post on Instagram, noting that the meeting included Trump's "entire senior team."

Saudi Arabia said its joint strikes with the US on targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence after blaming Iran-backed militias for recent drone attacks on the Kingdom's petroleum facilities.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the operation, conducted in coordination with US Central Command (CENTCOM), was justified under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Riyadh said it had sought to help de-escalate regional tensions but accused Iran-backed militias of choosing "an irresponsible path of escalation."

The Kingdom said it does not seek further escalation but warned it would take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty, citizens and national assets if attacked again.

Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said several of its official headquarters across the country were struck in what it described as attacks by US and Saudi forces early Wednesday.

In a statement, the PMF said the strikes killed and wounded a number of its members and caused damage to several buildings and other property. It condemned the attacks as a "highly dangerous escalation" and a violation of Iraq's sovereignty, saying they targeted the country's official security institutions.

The group added that Iraqi authorities were monitoring the situation and that efforts to determine the full extent of casualties and damage were still under way.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they struck and halted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reported Wednesday, despite a lull in fighting between the Washington and Tehran.

The Guards' navy said "three violating oil tankers, which ignored our warnings and continued sailing an unsafe and illegal route, were struck and brought to a halt", the Tasnim News agency reported.

Saudi Arabian forces, in coordination with the US Central Command, carried out targeted strikes Wednesday against sites linked to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, the Saudi Ministry of Defense announced, in retaliation for recent drone attacks on the kingdom’s petroleum infrastructure.

The operation marks a significant escalation in tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran-aligned groups operating from Iraqi territory.

Both Riyadh and Washington emphasised that the action was limited and aimed at deterrence rather than broader conflict.

In a statement, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, the official spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Defence, said the strikes followed the interception and destruction of multiple drones that had targeted oil facilities in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and the capital region of Riyadh.

Those attacks were launched from Iraq by “terrorist militias loyal to Iran,” according to the ministry.

Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said on Tuesday that vessels belonging to any country or company accepting compensation from Iran's frozen assets would not be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's state-run broadcaster IRIB.

A spokesman for the headquarters rejected US President Donald Trump's statement that ships damaged by Iran in the Gulf would be compensated using Iran's frozen funds.

He said Iran believes the vessels were damaged because of insecurity created by the US military and their use of what he described as an illegal and unsafe shipping route south of the Strait of Hormuz, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Oil prices jumped more than three percent in early Asian trade on Wednesday after the US military said it had intercepted multiple missiles launched by Iran.

At around 0015 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was up 3.67 percent at $82.17 a barrel, while North Sea Brent crude had gained 3.39 percent to $86.94.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles early on Wednesday at a US military base in Jordan, the US Central Command said. If confirmed, it's the first direct Iranian strike on American forces in the country since a brief pause in US airstrikes. All the missiles were successfully intercepted, with no casualties or damage reported, CentCom said in a statement.

The attack occurred at about 1:45 pm Gulf Standard Time on Wednesday (July 29, 2026), according to the US military’s report of the launch time at 5:45 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday.

The targeted facility was likely Muwaffaq Salti Air Base near Azraq in northeastern Jordan, which has hosted US forces and aircraft and was struck in earlier Iranian attacks this month that killed American service members. 

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show missile launches from central-western Iran and intercepts by air defence systems, including US Patriot batteries or Jordanian defences.

The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the hostile attack targeting the brotherly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with a drone.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that this hostile attack constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Jordan and a threat to its security and stability.

The Ministry reiterated the UAE’s full solidarity with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and its support for all measures aimed at safeguarding its security and stability.

Saudi Arabia's defence ministry said late Tuesday that its forces had intercepted drones targeting oil facilities in the east, blaming Iran-backed groups in Iraq for the launches for a second day running.

The ministry's spokesman, Turki al-Maliki, said that "aerial defences intercepted and destroyed several drones that attempted to target oil installations", adding that "these new terrorist attacks were launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by militias linked to Iran".

Day 149: Trump holds 'positive' talks with Zelenskyy, Netanyahu

Day 148: Saudi air defences foil drone attack on oil facilities

Day 147: Iran says military ready as Netanyahu heads to US

Day 146: Iran says it earned $11.5b in oil sales during the war

Day 145: US-Iran war escalates as Tehran targets US bases in Gulf