A surprise attack from Iranian forces marked a re-escalation in the conflict between the United States and Tehran after a lull that lasted several days.
The Wall Street Journal reported that all of the missiles were successfully intercepted.
However, as of roughly 8 p.m. Eastern, it wasn’t clear where the attack took place, although Axios was reporting that it was directed at a military base in Jordan.
“At 5:45 p.m. ET today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East,” U.S. Central Command reported in a social media post.
“U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”
At 5:45 p.m. ET today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 28, 2026
The attacks come after Saudi Arabia said earlier Tuesday that drones had been fired by Iranian proxy militias in Iraq at its energy facilities.
Saudi forces intercepted those drones, and CENTCOM added that “U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck 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.”
“The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. military response,” CENTCOM said.
“From February through April 2026, there were more than 600 attempted attacks on U.S. citizens and facilities by Iran-aligned terrorist militias in Iraq.”
While the attacks on the Iraqi militias were announced by CENTCOM after the strikes by Iran had been announced, the exact timeline of events wasn’t clear.
The attacks also come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington, D.C., with White House talks that were described as “positive and productive.”
The talks were private and centered largely around the conflict in Iran.
The pause in fighting between U.S. and Iranian forces began last Friday, but President Donald Trump warned that if no ceasefire deal was forthcoming, American strikes would recommence.
“They know I’m going to do that if they don’t make a deal,” Trump told Fox News Tuesday.
“The bridges are going to be gone, literally in less than — I would say in two hours, most of the bridges, the major bridges will all be gone, and the power plants in one day,” he said.
He also made it clear that Iran had to provide a guarantee it wouldn’t continue its nuclear program for a lasting peace.
“I just want very simply — they cannot have a nuclear weapon. Very simple,” Trump said. “And they’ve agreed to that. Essentially, we have to get them to, you know, make it formal.”
The last major Iranian strikes on an American base came in Jordan in mid-July, where three U.S. soldiers died during an attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
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