Iran Missiles All Intercepted at U.S. Jordan Base
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- Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan on Tuesday — its first such attack since Trump paused strikes Friday for diplomacy — with all missiles intercepted, per U.S. Central Command.
- CENTCOM identified the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as the attacker, said the missiles launched at 5:45pm ET in what it called an "attempted surprise attack," and warned the IRGC and its proxies "must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. military response."
- Trump told Axios on Monday the U.S. was in "very deep talks" with Iran but warned he would return to "very strong military action" if diplomacy failed: "Either it goes fast or not at all."
- U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq Tuesday evening, with Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry confirming it participated alongside CENTCOM in response to more than 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks over the previous 72 hours.
- CENTCOM said Iran-aligned militias carried out more than 600 attempted attacks on U.S. citizens and facilities in Iraq between February and April, underscoring the scale of the ongoing low-level campaign.
- The missile attack came hours after Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for Iran-focused talks the White House described as "positive and productive."
- Earlier this month, Iran targeted a U.S. airbase in Jordan in a missile and drone barrage that killed two U.S. service members, prompting Trump's 13-night campaign of strikes against Iran.
Why it matters: The strike tests Trump's three-day-old diplomatic pause and forces a decision on resuming military action while talks remain nominally active. With all missiles intercepted and no reported U.S. casualties, the damage is symbolic — but CENTCOM's immediate retaliatory strikes in Iraq, joined by Saudi aircraft, show the U.S. and its Gulf partners are already broadening the response beyond Iran's missile test.
