The US and Saudi Arabia struck "multiple" weapon sites in eastern Iraq on Tuesday, after Iran directed terrorists there to attack American troops and energy infrastructure in the kingdom, according to US Central Command (Centcom).
The American and Saudi strikes were a "strong response to over 30 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours," the military said. "The unwarranted attacks against U.S. forces were not successful."
It claimed that the IRGC launched "multiple" ballistic missiles from Iran at 5.45 pm ET "in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East".
"All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted," Centcom said. "US forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness."
Major General Turki al-Maliki of the Saudi Defence Ministry said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reiterates that it does not seek escalation but will respond decisively to any aggression directed against it.”
The strikes reportedly targeted the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an Iraqi paramilitary associated with the Islamic Republic.
The IRGC said the PMF had targeted an American base in Jordan “in response to the acts of aggression of the American child-killing army”.
A PMF spokesman called the US-Saudi response “an extremely serious escalation and a violation of Iraq's sovereignty, targeting its official security institutions”.
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.