The United States and Saudi Arabia launched coordinated air strikes against Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq on Wednesday, ending a brief lull and sharply widening the regional confrontation.The attacks struck multiple locations in eastern Iraq that Washington and Riyadh identified as logistics, weapons and command facilities used to organise drone operations. Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces reported deaths, injuries and damage at several official sites, although the full casualty toll remained unclear.
US Central Command said the targeted groups had acted under the direction of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and had attempted to attack American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure. Saudi Arabia said it did not seek a broader escalation but would respond to assaults on its territory and strategic facilities.
Tehran rejected responsibility for projectiles launched from other countries towards Saudi targets. An Iranian defence official warned that linking every attack by regional armed factions to Iran represented a “major miscalculation”, raising the prospect of further retaliation if Iranian interests were attacked.
The strikes followed Saudi claims that air defence systems had destroyed several drones heading towards oil facilities in the Eastern Province. Saudi officials said the aircraft were launched from Iraqi territory by Iran-backed militias. The attempted attacks intensified concern over the vulnerability of energy installations that supply global markets.
Iran separately fired ballistic missiles towards US military installations in Jordan. Jordan’s armed forces said five missiles were intercepted and destroyed early on Wednesday, with no casualties announced. US forces also reported intercepting a wider missile barrage directed at American positions elsewhere in the Middle East.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the missile operation would continue while threats and military action against Iran persisted. Washington described the launch as an attempted surprise attack, further weakening diplomatic efforts intended to prevent the war from spreading across neighbouring states.
Tensions also rose in the Strait of Hormuz after the Revolutionary Guards claimed they had struck three oil tankers and forced them to stop. Iran said the vessels ignored warnings and travelled through an unsafe and unauthorised route. Independent confirmation of the tanker attacks was not immediately available.
The Guards maintained that Iran controlled the strategic waterway and warned against US military instructions to commercial vessels. About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through Hormuz before the conflict disrupted maritime traffic, making any prolonged closure a major threat to energy supplies and shipping costs.
Oil prices rose by more than $3 a barrel as traders assessed the danger of further attacks on production facilities, tankers and military bases. The increase reversed part of the decline recorded during the pause in US air operations and reflected renewed fears of supply interruptions across the Gulf.
Diplomatic attention had been focused on an Omani proposal for managing navigation through Hormuz. The Gulf-backed plan envisaged shared arrangements involving Iran and Oman, with voluntary contributions from commercial vessels helping to fund navigation safety, environmental protection and emergency services.
Iran rejected the proposal, insisting that it must retain authority over the inbound shipping route and part of the outbound lane. Tehran argued that an equal management structure with Oman would not protect its interests, although it described Muscat as a valued neighbour and diplomatic intermediary.
Washington has opposed mandatory tolls or Iranian restrictions on the strait, maintaining that international shipping must be allowed to pass freely. A partial reopening agreement reached earlier between Iran and the United States collapsed after disputes over recognised navigation channels and attacks on vessels.
