On Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces hit eastern Iraq together. It was an operation that focused on Iran-backed militants that were ordered by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to strike against the US forces and energy infrastructure of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
CENTCOM reports American and Saudi fighter jets destroyed several terrorist weapons and logistics bases. The response came after, over the past 72 hours, there were more than 30 aerial drone attacks carried out by the IRGC. A military base of the Popular Mobilisation Front (PMF), an alliance of armed militias mostly backed by Iran in Iraq, was also the target of unexplained explosions in Arabic media reports.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) stated that it had intervened, noting that the Kingdom has a legitimate right to self-defense. The ministry said it doesn’t ask for escalation, but will give a strong reaction to any aggression against its national capabilities.
The simultaneous attacks took place just after Iran fired several ballistic missiles at military bases in the region operated by the United States. CENTCOM confirmed this surprise attack made by IRGC forces, specifically at US air bases and the Central Command center in Jordan. In an online post, Iranian negotiator Seyed Mohammad Marandi revealed an advance warning of Tehran’s readiness for an “all-out war,” but Jordanian air defenses managed to intercept and destroy five of the missiles.
Negotiating Amid Multi-Front Aggression
The war has spread to multiple flashpoints in the region. Air defenses in the Eastern Province shot down multiple drones fired into the Saudi Airspace from Iraqi airspace by Iranian-backed militias Tuesday night. At the same time in the Red Sea, the Houthis, who claimed to have captured two Saudi vessels, shot ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker Wednesday morning for breaching their declared maritime blockade.
This Red Sea incident was corroborated by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which reported a tanker hearing an explosion nearby. Furthermore, the IRGC told Iranian state media that they struck and stopped three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessels allegedly ignored warnings.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center confirmed this Red Sea incident, stating that they heard nearby an explosion on a tanker. In addition, Iranian state media quoted the IRGC as saying that they hit and halted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, whose drivers ignored their warning calls.
In a statement about diplomatic efforts, the White House pointed out that intense negotiations are taking place with Iran. US President Donald Trump told Axios that he stopped the military operation “after consulting with the relevant countries to give the negotiations a chance, but warned that if negotiations are unsuccessful, there will be a “rapid transition” to “strengthen the military response. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Tehran would cease its operations if American strikes were to cease, although the general attitude in Iran is one of scepticism, believing it is a tactic rather than an actual effort to make peace.
