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

What the report says

BBC World News reported that the US military has begun strikes on Iran, describing them as retaliation for what it said was an attempted surprise attack on American forces in the Middle East. US Central Command said on X that the action was a “powerful response” to Iran’s Tuesday firing on US bases in Jordan and at vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The report, published 30 July 2026 and updated shortly afterward, said the escalation followed several days of relative calm.

According to the BBC, President Donald Trump had warned earlier on Wednesday that the US would retaliate, telling reporters at the White House that Iran knew strikes were coming. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted a US air base and command centre in Jordan in response to American actions, and said its naval forces had struck three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they allegedly ignored warnings.

The latest exchange comes amid a conflict that the BBC said began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February and has now lasted five months. The article said Trump suspended a 13-night bombing campaign last Friday, during which the US said it targeted Iranian weapons and military sites. It also noted that talks had apparently resumed, though Tehran denied discussions were taking place.

The BBC also reported that the conflict widened a day earlier with the first publicly announced joint US-Saudi strikes on Iranian proxies in Iraq. Centcom said those strikes hit logistics and weapons sites after more than 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks, while Iraq’s presidency condemned the bombing as a violation of sovereignty. Saudi-Iranian rivalry provides broader regional context for the expanding hostilities.