U.S. and Saudi strikes hit Iran-backed militias in Iraq

U.S. and Saudi warplanes struck Iran-backed militia sites in Iraq overnight, killing at least 20 fighters, as Jordan said it intercepted five missiles launched from Iran and the conflict widened across several Middle Eastern flashpoints.

U.S. Central Command said the strikes targeted “multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq” in response to more than 30 drone attacks over the past 72 hours that it said were directed by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. CENTCOM said the attacks had targeted U.S. forces and Saudi energy sites, and that attempts against U.S. assets were unsuccessful.

The Saudi Defense Ministry confirmed it had carried out “precise and targeted strikes,” saying it was acting in self-defense. In a separate statement cited by NPR, the ministry said “the Kingdom emphasizes that it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces.”

The Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella coalition of primarily Shiite, Iran-backed armed groups that is officially under the command of the Iraqi military, said at least 20 of its fighters were killed and 32 wounded. The group said its headquarters in Baghdad and six other locations were hit. Some PMF factions have launched attacks on U.S. facilities, though Iraqi militias have denied involvement in the recent drone attacks alleged by Saudi Arabia.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called an emergency meeting of the country’s National Security Council on Wednesday to discuss the strikes, NPR reported. He had earlier ordered security agencies to investigate Saudi allegations that drones fired from Iraq targeted the kingdom. The Iraqi military said the country is committed to “preventing Iraqi territory from being used as a route or launching point for any attack targeting brotherly or friendly countries.”

The strikes came hours after CENTCOM said Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in the Middle East in what it called an “attempted surprise attack.” The command said the missiles were fired Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. ET by the Revolutionary Guard and were all “successfully intercepted.”

“U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness,” CENTCOM said.

Jordan’s military said early Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed five missiles launched from Iran. It did not report casualties. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency carried a Revolutionary Guard statement saying its Aerospace Force fired ballistic missiles at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and the headquarters of U.S. Central Command in Jordan.

The fighting followed a brief pause of about three days in which the United States and Iran had not announced attacks, NPR reported. The latest escalation also comes after weeks of tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf chokepoint through which 20% of the world’s traded oil normally flows.

Iranian state media reported Wednesday that the Revolutionary Guard’s Navy struck and stopped three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they allegedly ignored warnings and continued on what it described as an “unsafe and illegal route.” The report did not identify the tankers or their flags. NPR reported there was no immediate independent confirmation of the claimed strikes.

On Tuesday, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they fired missiles at the Saudi oil tanker NCC Ghazal in the Red Sea and forced it to turn back. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said a tanker reported hearing explosions in the southern Red Sea on Monday, but said the crew and vessel were safe.

In Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday for a little over an hour. A senior Israeli official who attended described the meeting as “extremely positive” and said the leaders reaffirmed “their ironclad commitment to ensuring that Iran never has nuclear weapons.”