Iran hits US in Jordan, US-Saudi strikes on Iraq: Is war spreading?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that Iran fired several ballistic missiles at United States military installations in Jordan on July 29, 2026, with US Central Command saying the attack on American forces in the region was intercepted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched the missiles, but CENTCOM, Iranian officials and Jordanian authorities had not publicly identified the specific sites or assets targeted. Al Jazeera noted that Jordan hosts US personnel, including at facilities such as Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and other locations in the northeast.

The same day, the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out strikes in Iraq against groups they described as aligned with Iran. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said the operation was coordinated with CENTCOM after drone attacks on Saudi petroleum facilities. CENTCOM said the targeted groups had attacked US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure under IRGC direction. Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, a state-sanctioned umbrella organization that includes factions close to Iran, said at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 wounded in strikes across seven provinces, including Baghdad, Basra and Diyala.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi convened an emergency national security meeting and had ordered security agencies to investigate the drone attacks, according to the report. An Iran-backed group calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq denied involvement in the Saudi attacks, while an unnamed Iranian defence official warned against blaming Tehran.

Al Jazeera framed the developments as a sign of widening regional risk amid the US-Israeli war on Iran that began in February. The report cited diplomatic efforts by Gulf states, Pakistan and the European Union to prevent further escalation, including concerns about shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb.