Iran war: US, Saudi Arabia strike Iran-backed Iraqi militias
The US military says it has carried out precision strikes with Saudi forces against Iran-aligned militants in eastern Iraq.
US and Saudi fighter jets hit several weapons storage and logistics sites, US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said on X.
CENTCOM said the operation followed more than 30 drone attacks over the previous 72 hours. The US military accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of directing the strikes against US troops and Saudi energy infrastructure.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 29, 2026
CENTCOM said the attacks on American forces failed.
Earlier, CENTCOM said it had thwarted an attempted Iranian "surprise attack" involving several ballistic missiles fired at US forces in the Middle East.
All the missiles were intercepted, the US military said. While CENTCOM did not identify their intended target, US news outlet Axios reported that they were heading towards a US military base in Jordan.
The attack came despite President Donald Trump's announcement that US strikes on Iran had been paused to give negotiations more time.
IRGC fires missiles at US bases in Jordan
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired several ballistic missiles toward a US air base and Central Command center in Jordan on Wednesday morning.
It said the attack was in retaliation for US actions against Iranian interests.
"As long as threats against the Islamic Republic continue and the unlawful and hostile actions of US forces against our interests persist, resistance will also continue," the IRGC told Iranian state media.
"Threats by US officials and unlawful interference against our interests must come to an end." ALSO READ: Israel set up secret military base in Iraq to support Iran operations: Report
Iraq's PMF militia says US, Saudi strike 'killed, injured many'
Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iran-aligned umbrella of militias, said the US and Saudi Arabia struck its facilities across Iraq on Wednesday.
The PMF said the strike targeted its headquarters in Basra, killing and injuring a number of people it did not specify.
The PMF said the strikes were a "highly dangerous escalation" and violated Iraq's sovereignty.
The US has blamed Iran-backed militias in Iraq for recent strikes on American troops in the region and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia says strikes on Iraqi militants in retaliation for earlier strikes
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday confirmed it took part in US strikes on Iran-backed Iraqi militants, saying they came in response to drone strikes by Iraqi militants that attempted to target oil facilities in Sharqiya and Riyadh.
The Saudi Defense Ministry stressed in a statement on X its "right to self defense."
"The kingdom stresses it does not seek escalation but it will respond to any aggression it faces," the statement read.
Netanyahu, Trump cite 'positive and productive' closed-door meeting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump and their teams praised cooperation between their two administrations after a closed-door meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
The sit down, the first since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, looked likely to go either way before Netanyahu arrived for Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral, with Trump boisterously complaining about the Israeli leader in public, most notably on Fox News.
Tuesday's talks, which lasted for 90 minutes, were described as "positive and productive" by the White House.
In a social media video posted after the meeting, Netanyahu called it "one of the best conversations I've ever had with the president of the United States," adding that it touched on "our common goal: ensuring that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons."
Trump said he had a "very good meeting" with Netanyahu in a post on his Truth Social platform.
"Obviously, many important subjects were discussed," Trump wrote, without elaborating.
Tuesday's meeting comes ahead of elections in Israel. The Reuters news agency cited unnamed sources as saying Netanyahu aimed to get Trump's support for his reelection campaign ahead of the October 27 vote. ALSO READ: Is the Strait of Hormuz still Iran's trump card?
US intercepts Iranian missile attack in Middle East
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said it stopped an Iranian missile attack on Tuesday afternoon.
"Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East," CENTCOM said on X.
"All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. US forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness."
CENTCOM did not specify where the missiles were fired.
American troops stationed on bases in the Gulf states as well as Jordan have been targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks this year.
The latest attack marks an end to a lull in fighting that has stretched for days.
