Trump vows strong response after Iran attacks US bases in Jordan
US President Donald Trump has threatened a strong military response after Iran launched missile attacks on US military bases in Jordan on Wednesday, raising fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said the United States would respond forcefully.
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“We’ll be hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating,” he said.
The latest violence came after a brief pause in fighting that had raised hopes for renewed peace talks. The renewed conflict pushed global oil prices up by about five percent over concerns that oil supplies could be disrupted.
Earlier on Wednesday, the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out joint airstrikes on bases belonging to Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq.
Saudi Arabia said the strikes were in response to recent drone attacks on its oil facilities, which it blamed on armed groups linked to Iran.
Iran also fired missiles towards Jordan, saying it was targeting US military bases there. Jordan’s military said it intercepted five of the missiles before they reached their targets.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that attacks would continue as long as threats against the country remained.
Iranian state media also reported that US strikes hit an area near the country’s border with Iraq, although local officials said there were no casualties.
Meanwhile, Israel accused the Iran-backed Hezbollah group of violating a ceasefire after an overnight drone attack on an Israeli vehicle in southern Lebanon.
In Iraq, officials from the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a state-backed security alliance that includes Iran-backed groups, said at least 20 of their members were killed in the US-Saudi strikes across several provinces.
The Iraqi government condemned the attacks, describing them as a violation of the country’s sovereignty, although Fox News reported that Trump said the operation had been coordinated with Baghdad.
The renewed fighting has also increased tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil shipping routes.
Iran said it had stopped three oil tankers in the waterway and insisted it would maintain control of the strait. The United States has responded with new sanctions targeting people and organisations linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards over activities in the area.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has made the Red Sea even more important for global oil shipments, especially those leaving Saudi Arabia.
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