US thwarts Iran’s ‘surprise’ attack on base in Jordan as counterattack targets Tehran-backed militants

The United States managed to thwart Iran’s attack on a US base in Jordan on Tuesday night by working with Saudi Arabia to strike bases used by Tehran-backed militias in Iraq.

Eight members of an Iran-backed militia were killed in a US-Saudi Arabian attack on a base in northern Iraq, according to the command of the Iraqi armed group.

It was the first military move between the two countries since President Trump paused attacks to give diplomacy a chance. Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day.

CENTCOM said Iraqi bases have been used by Iranian militias to launch attacks in recent days.

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces described the attacks as an ‘extremely dangerous escalation’.

The attack came after US forces said missiles belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard were seized in Jordan.

U.S. Central Command confirmed that the attack in Jordan took place around 5:45 p.m. against U.S. forces in the Middle East.

‘All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. In its statement, CENTCOM stated that US forces are alert and at a high level of readiness.

The United States also warned that further attacks against American troops or Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure would risk additional action.

U.S. Central Command confirmed that the attack occurred on U.S. forces in the Middle East around 5:45 p.m.

After weeks of tension in the Strait of Hormuz, the USA and Iran experienced a short period of calm in which they did not announce any attacks for days.

The Persian Gulf waterway is a narrow passage through which 20 percent of the world’s oil normally flows.

Iran effectively closed the strait by opening fire on or threatening cargo ships and tankers off its coast when the war began.

After the temporary ceasefire agreement was signed in June, a war began for control of the strait.

Iran has demanded that ships use a route close to the coastline and said it could potentially charge fees.

When Iran attacked some of the ships, they were sailing an increasingly southern route along the coast of Oman as part of a US surveillance operation.

Earlier on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said it had shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq for a second day, while Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have forced a Saudi oil tanker to turn back as part of their signature blockade of the kingdom.

The attacks ended the calm period between the United States and Iran, which did not announce any attacks for days after weeks of tension in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Saudi Ministry of Defense said in a statement that its air defense intercepted and destroyed several UAVs that tried to target oil facilities in the country’s eastern region.

It was stated that the attacks were “once again launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by terrorist militias affiliated with Iran.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate after the Saudis claimed a similar attack on Monday.

The Iraqi military said in a statement that Iraq was determined to ‘prevent Iraqi territory from being used as a route or starting point for any attack targeting sister or friendly countries’.

This screenshot, taken from video footage published by Sepah News of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on July 20, 2026, shows what a missile says was launched from an undisclosed location towards US targets in the Gulf

Iraqi militias have denied any role in the drone attacks. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed groups, called the Saudi claims a ‘fabrication’ and implied that Monday’s attacks were carried out by the Houthis, who claimed to have attacked Saudi oil facilities.

Iran and the United States took a break from fighting over the weekend, but tensions remain high even as officials say mediators are making progress in getting the two sides back to talks.

Earlier in the escalation, US strikes destroyed an airport and a sea control tower and damaged 12 bridges and two tunnels, among other infrastructure, Tehran said on Tuesday.

The US military announced that it hit many military targets in response to Iran’s attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Arab countries hosting US forces.

The attack came on the same day that Netanyahu launched a charm offensive against President Donald Trump and had senior Cabinet members work in a house of worship, as concerns grew that Israel might move to expand the war with Iran.

Netanyahu turned the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s somber funeral at the Washington National Cathedral into a backdrop for diplomatic networking.

He rubbed shoulders with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and was also seen talking closely with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his wife.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a charm offensive in Washington on Tuesday, rooming with senior Trump Cabinet members after a critical meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, as concern grows among Republicans that Israel could drag the United States into a widening war with Iran.

He was also spotted among Trump’s top aides and administration heavyweights, including Stephen Miller, Steve Witkoff, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin.

Netanyahu said he had an ‘excellent’ meeting with Trump at the White House on Tuesday; This is the first time they have met since the launch of a joint war against Iran, which offers Netanyahu a chance to ease tensions in their relationship.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the closed-door meeting lasted about an hour and a half and was “positive and productive.”

The White House did not immediately offer further details.

This comes at a time when both leaders face increasing pressure at home.

Netanyahu is up for re-election and is in a difficult position, in part because of his worsening relationship with Trump.

Trump is under pressure to end the unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and sent prices soaring ahead of midterm elections in November.

An Israeli official who provided information about the meeting said that Netanyahu made it clear to Trump and his cabinet that they would respond if Iran attacked Israel, but beyond that, they would trust the president’s decision on the next steps.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to share details of a private meeting.

Although there were signs of tension between the two before the meeting, Netanyahu later appeared enthusiastic in a post on Instagram, stating that the meeting included Trump’s “entire senior team.”

The U.S. ability to thwart impending attacks by Iran has become an increasingly prominent issue, with lawmakers, military members and experts voicing concerns about the country’s dwindling stockpile of missile interceptors.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies published an analysis Monday saying the country’s declining Patriot and THAAD interceptor inventories could force the United States and its Middle Eastern allies to take more risks to maintain their air defenses.

For example, the Washington think tank said American forces could launch fewer missiles against Iran’s drones and missiles, increasing the chances of getting through.

But the Pentagon has pushed back over concerns that its capabilities are diminishing.

“America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to deploy whenever and wherever the President chooses,” Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said Tuesday.