NewzBAGHDAD (AP) — Iran launched a barrage of missiles at American forces in the Middle East early Wednesday as the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Tehran-backed militias in neighboring Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters.Six Iranian advisers were also killed in the U.S.-Saudi strike, two Iraqi militia officials told the Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.Elsewhere, drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at an Egyptian port, a maritime security firm said.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a U.S.-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker at Damietta. No injuries were reported.Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have been spared from direct military action during the war.
A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict.The flare-up on multiple fronts, after several days of relative calm, raised the risk of a return to all-out war. It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has jolted the world economy and is unpopular among Americans. The fighting was also likely to add to concerns that the U.S.
is further drawing down already diminished stockpiles of sophisticated munitions needed to defend its bases and allies.Meanwhile, a Fox News reporter said in an on-air segment that he spoke with President Donald Trump who, using a series of vulgarities, told him the U.S. will hit back hard in response to the Iranian attacks.Saudi Arabia had accused the Iraqi militias of firing drones against its oil facilities over the past two days. An umbrella group of Iraqi militias initially denied the allegations, while another Iran-backed group — the Houthi rebels in Yemen — said they had attacked Saudi energy facilities as part of a separate but related conflict.Before the latest eruption, mediators had expressed optimism about bringing the U.S.
and Iran back to the negotiating table. An interim agreement collapsed in recent weeks over renewed fighting in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy supplies that Iranian attacks have again effectively closed.A regional official said mediators are “still trying with both sides” to restore calm and get the ceasefire back on track. CENTCOM disclosed on X that it intercepted multiple ballistic missiles in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East.
The post Trump threatens retaliatory strikes after Iran attacks US base in Jordan appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria. CAIRO (AP) — Iran launched a barrage of missiles at American forces in the Middle East early Wednesday as the U.S. TEHRAN - Iran has strongly condemned joint airstrikes conducted by the United States and Saudi Arabia against targets in Iraq.
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