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All missiles launched at U.S. forces in Jordan were reportedly intercepted before American and Saudi forces carried out targeted strikes against Iran-backed militia positions across Iraq.
All missiles launched at U.S. forces in Jordan were reportedly intercepted before American and Saudi forces carried out targeted strikes against Iran-backed militia positions across Iraq. Militia sources claimed 20 fighters were killed, including five Iranian military advisers.
U.S. and Saudi forces carried out coordinated strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq after missiles were launched toward American troops stationed in Jordan, according to reports published Wednesday.
The incoming missiles were reportedly intercepted, and no American casualties were reported. The United States and Saudi Arabia then targeted militia positions linked to attacks on U.S. personnel and Saudi energy infrastructure.
President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face a powerful response while indicating that diplomatic talks could continue.
“We’ll be hitting them hard,” Trump said. “They’re going to get a beating.”
Trump also said the United States would allow negotiations with Iran to continue, signaling that military pressure and diplomacy would proceed at the same time.
Two sources within Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces told AFP that five Iranian military advisers were killed in strikes in the central province of Diyala.
AFP journalists later reported seeing coffins covered with Iranian flags during a funeral organized by the militia alliance in Baghdad.
The Popular Mobilization Forces claimed that strikes hit positions in seven Iraqi provinces, killing at least 20 fighters and injuring 32 others. Those figures have not been independently confirmed.
Foreign reports placed the number of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps advisers killed between four and six.
U.S. Central Command said the operation targeted Iran-aligned terrorists who had directed attacks against American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia described the operation as a series of limited and targeted strikes against Iran-backed armed groups linked to attacks on the kingdom’s oil facilities.
The strikes focused on the Iran-backed network operating inside Iraq, where militias tied to Tehran have repeatedly threatened American forces and regional allies.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes and accused the United States and Saudi Arabia of violating Iraqi sovereignty. Tehran also blamed Washington and Israel for escalating regional tensions.
Iran-backed militia groups responded with threats against American and Saudi interests. Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba warned that both countries would face consequences, while Kataib Hezbollah threatened targets connected to the United States in Saudi Arabia.
The militias did not provide details about when or how they might retaliate.
Trump said the operation had been coordinated with the Iraqi government.
Following the strikes, Iraq’s National Security Council announced a security plan aimed at strengthening state control, protecting Iraqi sovereignty and preventing armed groups from using Iraqi territory to threaten neighboring countries.
The confrontation underscores the continuing danger posed by Iran’s regional terror network. The United States and its allies have made clear that attacks on American troops and critical infrastructure will bring a direct military response.
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