Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Jul 29: Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles targeting US military forces in the Middle East in what the US Central Command (CENTCOM) described as an "attempted surprise attack", marking Tehran's first direct strike on a US military base in the region since US President Donald Trump paused planned military action against Iran last week to allow diplomatic efforts.
The missile attack came just hours after Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for high-level talks, during which Iran was a key focus.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said the US air defence systems successfully intercepted all the missiles launched by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
"At 5:45 pm ET today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted," CENTCOM said, adding that US forces remain "vigilant and at a high state of readiness."
Meanwhile, the US military said American and Saudi forces carried out coordinated strikes against Iran-backed militant groups in Iraq after they launched more than 30 drone attacks over the past 72 hours.
According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted logistics and weapons sites used by "Iran-aligned terrorists" allegedly directed by the IRGC to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure in the region.
The military said the recent drone attacks failed to cause significant damage and noted that more than 600 attempted attacks on US citizens and facilities by Iran-backed militias had been recorded in Iraq between February and April 2026.
CENTCOM warned that the IRGC and its allied militias must halt such attacks or face further US military action.
Earlier, Trump reiterated that Washington was prepared to resume military operations if Tehran failed to reach a diplomatic agreement with the United States.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the US could target critical Iranian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, if negotiations collapsed.
"If they don't make a deal, then I go back, and I finish the job," Trump said, adding that Iran would take years to recover from such strikes.
He also claimed that key bridges in Iran could be destroyed "in less than an hour" if military action resumed.