US launches 'powerful' strikes on Iran after attempted attack on American troops

The US military says it has begun launching strikes against Iran in retaliation for an attempted surprise attack on American forces in the Middle East. Centcom said on X the strikes were "a powerful response" to Tuesday's firing by Iran on US bases in Jordan and at ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The latest hostilities came a day after the conflict expanded, with the first publicly announced joint US-Saudi strikes, which targeted Iranian proxies in Iraq. When the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran in February, US President Donald Trump said the war would last only a few weeks, but it has now gone on for five months with no end in sight.

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Scoop News DeskUs · Published Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 1:58 AM UTCUpdated Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 3:46 AM UTC

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On Wednesday, Axios reported, citing an unnamed US official, that Trump had met with Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, who had conveyed that Saudi Arabia wants to de-escalate tensions. 1 dead — in US It also said naval forces had struck three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they "ignored warnings" and sailed along what it described as an "unsafe and illegal route" through the vital Gulf waterway.

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