U.S. military officials reported that Iran launched a series of ballistic missiles in what appeared to be a sudden attempt to strike American forces in the Middle East, abruptly ending a recent lull in combat.
The strikes occurred at 17:45 EDT on Tuesday. According to U.S. Central Command (Centcom), all incoming missiles were successfully intercepted; however, the specific locations of the targets were not disclosed.
In a retaliatory move, U.S. and Saudi Arabian forces targeted “Iran-aligned terrorists” in Iraq following a series of drone attacks directed by Tehran, Centcom stated.
Tehran has yet to issue an official comment. This renewed exchange of fire breaks a brief cessation of hostilities that had been intended to facilitate a return to diplomatic negotiations.
Centcom confirmed that U.S. and Saudi forces struck multiple logistics and weapons sites belonging to terrorist groups in eastern Iraq.
The U.S. military characterized the strikes as a “strong response” to more than 30 aerial drone attacks directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over the previous 72 hours.
Centcom warned that Iran’s military and its regional proxies must end these attacks to prevent further American military retaliation.
Earlier on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia reported that its military successfully intercepted and destroyed drones aimed at petroleum facilities in its eastern province.
Major General Turki al-Maliki, a spokesperson for the defense ministry, stated the drones were launched by Iranian-affiliated militias operating from Iraqi territory.
This surge in violence follows comments made Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding “very friendly negotiations” with Iran, noting that the two nations had avoided direct strikes for three consecutive days prior to these events.
The recent pause in fighting followed a period of 13 consecutive nights of U.S. bombing operations, which targeted tunnels and bridges in southern Iran and resulted in numerous casualties.
Control and access to the Strait of Hormuz remains a primary obstacle in diplomatic talks, which Tehran has denied are currently taking place.
Global oil prices rose on Wednesday as fears grew that escalating conflict could threaten energy shipments through the critical strait.
During morning trading in Asia, Brent crude rose 4.3% to $87.70 per barrel, while U.S.-traded oil increased 4.2% to $82.62.
The renewed hostilities coincide with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, where he met with President Trump and attended the funeral of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent advocate for hardline policies toward Iran.
Recent Pentagon data indicates that at least 624 U.S. service members have been wounded since President Trump ordered strikes against Iran in February.
Of those, 417 injuries were linked to Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
