US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that American troops will respond “harshly” to a missile strike on US bases in Jordan.
“We will strike them hard. They’ll get it,” a Fox News correspondent quoted Trump as saying during a brief interview on 29 July. “We’ll give them a proper thrashing.”
According to the official state news agency IRNA, on 29 July Iran resumed missile attacks on facilities which it claims are American targets in the Middle East, firing several missiles at the ‘Muwaffaq Salti’ airbase and the headquarters of the US Central Command in Jordan.
The Jordanian military reported that five missiles were intercepted during the attack, with no reports of casualties or damage.
Iran’s attack came a few hours after US and Saudi forces struck targets linked to Iran in eastern Iraq late on the evening of 28 July. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), this was in response to recent drone attacks on US troops and Saudi energy infrastructure.
In its statement, CENTCOM noted that the strikes targeted logistics facilities and weapons depots used by Iranian-backed groups, following more than 30 drone attacks over the past 72 hours. The statement also said that the attacks on US troops had not succeeded.
These attacks have heightened fears that, following a brief lull in the conflict, both sides will resume hostilities.