This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
The US launched fresh strikes on Wednesday against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets across Iran, hours after President Trump warned Tehran it would face severe consequences for attacking American forces.
US Central Command (Centcom) said the “heavy wave of strikes” targeted dozens of IRGC command centres, missile and drone facilities, coastal defence sites and other military infrastructure in response to an Iranian ballistic missile “surprise attack” on American forces in Jordan the previous day.
Washington said the Iranian missiles were intercepted and no US personnel were killed.
The strikes mark the first direct US attacks inside Iran since Trump briefly paused military operations last week in the hope of creating space for diplomacy.
The overnight operation came as Iran continued to reject US demands over its nuclear programme and warned that any further attacks would be met with retaliation.
They followed joint US-Saudi strikes on the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an Iraqi militia backed by the IRGC.
They also come after discussions this week between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on future policy towards Tehran, during which the two leaders reviewed military and diplomatic options for preventing Iran from reviving its nuclear ambitions.
Israeli officials have argued that sustained pressure is needed to degrade the IRGC's ability to arm and coordinate allied groups across the Middle East.
According to a senior Israeli official speaking to Reuters, Netanyahu did not press Trump to launch another strike against the Islamic Republic.
This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
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