Iran and US trade strikes, shattering brief lull in fighting

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Iran fired multiple ballistic missiles at US forces in the Middle East on Tuesday, ending a short pause in direct hostilities. US Central Command said the missiles were launched at 17:45 EDT, or 21:45 GMT, and were all intercepted. Centcom described the launch as an attempted surprise attack but did not identify the intended targets or their locations. Tehran had not commented at the time of the BBC report.

According to Centcom, the US military and Saudi forces also carried out retaliatory strikes in eastern Iraq against what it called Iran-aligned terrorist logistics and weapons sites. The command said the operation followed more than 30 drone attacks in the previous 72 hours that it attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It warned that Iran’s military and affiliated groups should stop such attacks to avoid further US action.

Saudi Arabia separately said earlier Tuesday that it had intercepted drones aimed at oil facilities in its eastern region. A Saudi defence ministry spokesman alleged the drones were launched from Iraqi territory by militia groups linked to Iran.

The renewed exchanges followed a brief lull that had raised hopes of renewed diplomacy. The BBC notes that President Donald Trump had described talks with Iran as “very friendly” a day earlier, while Tehran has denied that negotiations are taking place. The fighting also comes amid continued tension over the Strait of Hormuz and during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.