The United States carried out fresh strikes against Iran on Wednesday, July 29, as the five-month-old conflict widened across the Middle East, with attacks and counterattacks also reported in Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and the Strait of Hormuz. The US military said the strikes were launched in response to Iranian attacks targeting US forces in the region.
US Strikes Iran After Attacks on American Forces
US Central Command said American forces began launching strikes against Iran at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, describing the action as a response to what it called attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East.
The strikes followed President Donald Trump’s warning earlier in the day that Washington would retaliate after Iran fired on US troops. Trump said the United States would “hit them very hard” while maintaining that Washington still wanted to pursue a peace agreement with Tehran.
The latest escalation comes after months of fighting that began in February, when the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran. Trump had initially said the campaign would last only a few weeks. A temporary ceasefire reached in June later collapsed amid renewed fighting linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran Targets US Forces in Jordan and Ships in Strait of Hormuz
Iran confirmed that it had fired on US bases in Jordan and attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said ballistic missiles were launched at US military installations in Jordan and claimed that three tankers attempting to pass through the strait had also been struck after using what it described as an unauthorised route.
Jordan’s military said it had intercepted five Iranian missiles. US bases in Jordan have become major targets during the conflict, with three US service members killed there earlier this month, according to the report.
Iran also rejected an Omani proposal to jointly manage the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and gas shipments. Iran says it now controls the waterway.
US and Saudi Arabia Strike Iran-Aligned Groups in Iraq
The conflict also spread into Iraq, where US and Saudi forces carried out strikes against Iran-backed armed groups. Washington and Riyadh said the attacks were retaliation for drone strikes against Saudi oil targets launched from Iraqi territory.
The joint operation marked the first time Saudi Arabia had publicly joined the United States in strikes during the conflict.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, a group of Iran-backed paramilitary organisations incorporated into the country’s security forces, said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded in the attacks on several bases.
Iran has denied that its forces directed attacks from Iraqi territory. However, Iranian newspaper Hamshahri reported that four Iranian Revolutionary Guards advisers were killed in the strikes in Iraq.
Iraq Seeks to Avoid Further Escalation
The attacks have highlighted the difficult position of Iraq’s government, which maintains close military and diplomatic relationships with both Iran and the United States.
The office of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who took office two months ago, urged all parties to avoid further escalation and said Iraq wanted to remain outside regional conflicts.
The Iraqi presidency condemned the strikes against the paramilitary groups as an unacceptable attack and violation of Iraq’s sovereignty. At the same time, it called for attacks by armed groups against Iraq’s neighbours to stop.
The conflict has added pressure to an already sensitive security environment in Iraq, where Iran and Iraq maintain deep ties and large numbers of Iranian religious pilgrims are travelling to Iraqi shrines for an annual mourning observance.
Drone Attack Reported at Egypt’s Damietta Port
Earlier on Wednesday, a drone hit a US-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, according to an initial assessment by British maritime security firm Ambrey.
Egypt’s petroleum ministry confirmed that a fire had occurred at the port but did not mention a drone attack. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the incident.
The reported incident in Egypt, alongside the strikes in Iraq and attacks involving Jordan and the Strait of Hormuz, raised concerns that more countries could become directly involved in the widening conflict.
Oil Prices Rise Above $90 as Conflict Escalates
The latest military escalation also affected energy markets. Brent crude futures rose by more than 8% on Wednesday, pushing the benchmark above $90 a barrel.
The sharp increase reversed much of the decline seen earlier in the week after Trump unexpectedly halted US strikes. The renewed rise came as diplomatic efforts appeared to struggle against the continued military escalation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia Urges Washington Against Further Escalation
Despite joining the United States in strikes against Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, Saudi Arabia also sought to discourage further expansion of the conflict, according to two sources cited by Reuters.
Saudi Arabia’s defence minister met US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Wednesday and urged the Trump administration not to escalate further by attacking Yemen’s Houthis or carrying out additional strikes against Iran-aligned militias in Iraq.
One of the sources said such an escalation could create “major unknown risks”. The White House and Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
US officials have also privately warned about the risks of restarting major combat operations against Iran, particularly because of the potential impact on American stocks of munitions. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the US military had fewer than 1,000 Patriot interceptor missiles and fewer than 250 THAAD interceptors.
Conflict Continues to Spread Across the Region
The latest US strikes on Iran come as the conflict increasingly extends beyond the main battlefront. Attacks involving US and Iranian forces have affected Jordan and the Strait of Hormuz, while US-Saudi strikes have hit Iran-backed groups in Iraq and a reported drone incident has occurred at an Egyptian port.
The widening pattern of military action, combined with rising oil prices and continued diplomatic efforts, has increased the stakes across the region. For now, the United States says it will respond to attacks against its forces while continuing to pursue the possibility of a peace deal with Iran.
Source: Reuters
