The United States and Saudi Arabia launched coordinated airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia positions in Iraq early Wednesday, retaliating hours after Iran fired missiles at a US military installation in Jordan in what the Pentagon described as a surprise attack.
US Central Command confirmed that American and Saudi forces struck multiple targets linked to Kataib Hezbollah and other Tehran-aligned armed groups operating in western and central Iraq. The strikes hit weapons depots, command centers, and rocket launch sites, according to a statement released early Wednesday.
The operation came just hours after Iran launched a salvo of ballistic missiles at a US base in eastern Jordan. Pentagon officials said the American air defense systems intercepted most of the incoming projectiles, but several landed inside the perimeter, causing what the military described as light casualties. The attack marked the first direct Iranian missile strike on US forces since the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran collapsed last week.
President Donald Trump responded swiftly, warning that Iran was going to get a beating and vowing a major escalation. Speaking at the White House after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the United States would not tolerate attacks on its troops and would hit back with overwhelming force.
Jordanian air defenses also intercepted several Iranian missiles that entered its airspace, according to a statement from the Jordanian Armed Forces. Amman condemned the Iranian strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and called for restraint.
Iraqi armed groups immediately condemned the US-Saudi strikes as a dangerous escalation. In a joint statement, several factions vowed to retaliate, raising fears of a wider conflagration that could draw in more regional actors. Analysts warned that the cross-border strikes risked pushing the region into uncharted territory.
The escalation shattered the fragile calm that had held since a US-brokered ceasefire between Iran and the Gulf states collapsed last week. That deal fell apart after Iran accused the United States of violating its terms by maintaining sanctions, while Washington alleged Tehran used the pause to resupply proxies across the region.
Iranian leaders framed Wednesday’s missile attack as a response to continued US military presence in the region and recent Israeli operations against Iranian assets in Syria. Tehran’s state-run media portrayed the strikes as a sign of strength ahead of potential negotiations, though Western diplomats said the gambit had backfired by drawing a direct US-Saudi military response inside Iraq.
The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency session for later Wednesday. UN Secretary-General called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and warned that any further escalation could trigger a broader regional war with devastating humanitarian consequences.