Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1159 EAT on Wednesday 29 July 2026

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeted “Iran-aligned terrorists” who it accused of being directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attack US forces and Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure.

Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a state-backed paramilitary group dominated by Iran-aligned Shia militias, said at least 20 of its members were killed in US-Saudi strikes on its bases.

The strikes came hours after CENTCOM said Iran had launched missiles at US forces in the Middle East in what it described as an “attempted surprise attack”, bringing an end to a brief pause in hostilities.

The US military said the Iranian attack took place at 17:45 EDT (21:45 GMT) on Tuesday, with all incoming missiles “successfully intercepted”.

The IRGC said the missiles targeted a US airbase and command centre in Jordan, describing the attack as a response to what it called “acts of aggression” by the United States military.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its naval forces had also struck three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessels “ignored warnings” and travelled along what it described as an “unsafe and illegal route” through the strategic Gulf waterway.

Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US and Saudi fighter jets had targeted “multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites” in eastern Iraq in response to what it described as more than 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks over the previous 72 hours.

CENTCOM called the drone strikes “unwarranted” and said they had been unsuccessful.

“The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response,” the command said in a statement.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an Iraqi paramilitary group largely made up of Iran-backed Shia militias, said in a statement on Wednesday that at least 20 of its fighters were killed and 32 others wounded in US-Saudi strikes on several of its bases across Iraq.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) condemned the strikes as a “dangerous escalation” and accused the United States and Saudi Arabia of violating Iraq’s sovereignty.

The PMF is an umbrella organisation of mostly Shia Muslim armed groups that has been formally incorporated into Iraq’s security forces. It includes several Iran-backed factions that are part of a wider network of groups Tehran has supported to advance its influence across the Middle East.

The militias have previously carried out attacks against US personnel and interests in Iraq, seeking to pressure Washington to withdraw its remaining forces from the country. The United States has repeatedly responded with strikes against these groups.

An Iranian defence official, quoted by state television and reported by Reuters, denied any Iranian involvement in drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. The official warned that blaming Iran for attacks on US interests in the region would be a “major miscalculation”.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said its forces had intercepted and destroyed drones targeting petroleum facilities in the country’s eastern region. Defence ministry spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki accused Iran-linked militia groups based in Iraq of launching the drones.

The renewed hostilities came two days after US President Donald Trump said there had been “very friendly negotiations” with Iran. At the time, the two sides had gone three consecutive days without exchanging attacks.

The pause followed 13 nights of US air strikes on Iran, which Washington said targeted and destroyed tunnels and bridges in the country’s south. The strikes reportedly killed dozens of people.

Control and access to the Strait of Hormuz remains a major point of contention in any potential negotiations, although Tehran has denied that formal talks with Washington are taking place.

Oil prices climbed on Wednesday amid concerns that further escalation in the conflict could disrupt energy shipments through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

In Asian trading, the global benchmark Brent crude rose 4.3% to $87.70 (£65.98) a barrel, while US crude futures gained 4.2% to $82.62 a barrel.

The latest strikes came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington, where he met US President Donald Trump at the White House and attended the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent critic of Iran.

Meanwhile, at least 624 US military service members have been wounded since President Trump ordered strikes against Iran in February, according to recent Pentagon data.

The Pentagon said 417 of those injuries were linked to Operation Epic Fury, a joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

-BBC

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