Iran fires ballistic missiles at US base, strikes tankers in Hormuz; US-Saudi warplanes bomb Iran-linked targets in Iraq

The United States and Saudi Arabia carried out precision airstrikes against Iran-linked militants in eastern Iraq on Tuesday, hours after Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles toward American forces in Jordan and announced attacks on commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian missile barrage on a Jordan base

On Tuesday at 17:45 Eastern Time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iranian territory aimed at US military positions in the Middle East. Citing a US official, Axios reported that the target was an American base in Jordan. U.S. Central Command said all the missiles were successfully intercepted and that no damage or casualties occurred on the American side. The salvo was the first direct Iranian ballistic-missile attack on a US base since Friday, when President Donald Trump paused daily strikes on Iranian targets.

The IRGC framed the attack as part of an ongoing campaign.

As long as threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran and illegal, brutal actions by American forces against our interests continue, resistance will last.

Tankers hit in the Strait of Hormuz

In a separate announcement on Wednesday, the Revolutionary Guard said it had also attacked three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes. The IRGC justified the move by claiming the vessels had ignored earlier warnings. No independent details on the tankers’ flags, cargoes, or damage were immediately available.

US-Saudi retaliation in Iraq

Two hours after the missile launch, CENTCOM announced that US and Royal Saudi Air Force warplanes had struck multiple logistics hubs and weapons depots in eastern Iraq used by “Iran-affiliated terrorists.” The command described the operation as a strong response to more than 30 drone attacks carried out over the previous 72 hours on orders from the IRGC, as well as a series of attempts that had targeted Saudi energy infrastructure.

Unjustified attacks aimed at United States forces have failed.

CENTCOM added that between February and April 2026 it had recorded more than 600 attack attempts against US citizens and facilities inside Iraq, all conducted by Iran-linked militia groups. It warned that the IRGC and its proxy forces must stop the attacks or face further American military action.

Regional ripple effects

A day earlier, on Monday, Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said it had intercepted and destroyed several drones targeting the capital, Riyadh, and petrochemical installations in the country’s east. The drones were launched from Iraq by pro-Iranian militias. Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a state-affiliated umbrella that includes factions loyal to Tehran, confirmed casualties and building damage from the US-Saudi strikes, denouncing the raids as a “dangerous escalation” and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, meanwhile, claimed to have shot down a Saudi reconnaissance drone over Saada province.

Trump’s warning and the diplomatic window

Speaking on Monday, President Trump said the pause on direct strikes against Iran that he ordered on Friday was granted at the request of mediators who wanted one more chance for negotiations.

If the talks don’t produce results, we’re going back to strong military actions.

The present cycle of violence is part of a wider armed conflict that began on 28 February with an Israeli and US attack on Iran.