US launches ‘powerful’ strikes on Iran after attacks on bases, ending lull in fighting

The United States military launched what it called “powerful” strikes on Iran on Thursday in retaliation for Iranian attacks that targeted US bases in Jordan, ending a nearly week-long pause in fighting and reigniting concerns of a wider Middle East conflict.

Response after attacks on US bases in Jordan

US Central Command said the strikes were “a powerful response to yesterday’s attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East.” The action came after Iran launched missiles at Jordan, with Jordan’s army saying it had intercepted five missiles and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards saying they had targeted US bases there.

Iranian state media reported an American strike in the Piranshahr border area, after the Fars news agency reported a missile hit an uninhabited area, causing no casualties.

Regional spillover and allied operations

Alongside the strikes on Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced strikes on militant bases in Iraq. The US military said logistics and weapons sites belonging to an Iran-aligned group were targeted.

Iraq’s Hashed al-Shaabi alliance said the attacks killed at least 20 of its members and denounced a “dangerous escalation” against an “official security institution.” Two Hashed officials said five Iranian advisors were among those killed. AFP correspondents saw coffins draped with Iranian flags, according to IOL.

Iraq’s government criticised the US-Saudi operation, saying it rejects “all acts of aggression, regardless of the party responsible or the justifications presented.” The country’s Ministerial Council for National Security said it would “confront any violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, and prevent any source from using Iraqi territory to threaten neighbouring states.” According to Fox News, President Trump said the strikes were “coordinated with the Iraqi government.”

Drone attacks and ceasefire claims

For two days Saudi Arabia reported drone attacks on crude facilities that it blamed on Iraqi armed groups allied with Tehran. Separately, Israel accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of deploying a drone against an Israeli vehicle inside Lebanon, calling it “a blatant violation of the ceasefire.”

Statements from leaders and armed groups

Ahead of the latest strikes, US President Trump told Fox News:

“We’ll be hitting them hard…We are going to beat the ‘effing s’ out of them.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said:

“As long as the threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran continue…the resistance will continue.”

Wider strategic implications

The US had said the recent cessation in fighting was intended to kickstart negotiations, including over the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has sought to control during the conflict. The Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked and stopped three tankers in the strait and insisted Iran has “full control” of the waterway. Tehran has also announced plans to collect fees for passage, which the US opposes.

The US announced new sanctions targeting entities linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards that it accused of extorting ships transiting the strait. The situation has also affected markets: US stocks fell sharply and long-term Treasury yields rose amid the jump in oil prices.