The US military reported that it intercepted an Iranian missile attack and collaborated with Saudi Arabia’s armed forces to strike targets in Iraq. According to Washington, these targets were used by Tehran-backed militias for attacks in recent days. US officials viewed Iran’s actions as an “attempt at a surprise attack”, as Iran launched numerous ballistic missiles at US forces in the Middle East, which put an end to the brief lull in hostilities. Axios, citing a US official, reported that Iran’s target was a US base in Jordan.
The US Central Command (Centcom) stated that all Iranian missiles launched on Tuesday were intercepted. The US warned that any further attacks on US troops or Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure would lead to retaliatory strikes. Joint US-Saudi strikes on targets in Iraq resulted in several deaths and injuries, according to the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The PMF is an Iraqi state security formation that, according to US assessments, is significantly influenced by Iran.
New Incidents and Market Reaction
Another indication of a potential end to the lull in hostilities came from Iranian state media, which reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran claimed to have struck and stopped three “violating tankers” moving along an “illegal” route in the Strait of Hormuz.
The price of Brent crude oil rose following news of the escalation, fluctuating around $88 per barrel. US and Saudi fighter jets targeted Iran-backed militants in Iraq after accusing them of drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities in recent days.
Source: Guardian
