Brief pause ends: US hits Iran again after ballistic missile attack on American troops in Jordan
The strikes came after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired multiple ballistic missiles at a US air base and another military installation in Jordan
- Jul 30, 2026,
- Updated Jul 30, 2026 7:38 AM IST
The brief pause in US military operations against Iran is over. American forces resumed air strikes on Thursday night at 8 pm ET, targeting locations inside Iran in direct response to what Washington described as an attempted Iranian ballistic missile attack on US troops in the region. Multiple explosions were reported across Iran's south shortly after the strikes began.
US Central Command confirmed the resumption. "US forces began launching strikes against Iran at 8 pm ET today. The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday's attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East," Centcom said on X.
Iranian media reported three explosions on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tasnim News Agency saying a missile strike hit a residential area on the island. Explosions were also reported in Bushehr and several other southern locations. There was no immediate official confirmation of casualties or the extent of the damage.
What triggered the resumption
The strikes came after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired multiple ballistic missiles at a US air base and another military installation in Jordan, the first direct Iranian ballistic missile attack on an American military base since Washington had paused its bombing campaign to allow diplomatic talks to proceed. Centcom said all incoming missiles were intercepted, with no casualties or damage reported.
President Trump made his intention clear at the White House on Wednesday. "So it's our turn," he told reporters. "We're going to hit them very hard."
Even as he vowed a forceful response, Trump left a diplomatic door open. "We're having good talks. I think there's a good chance that something could happen, and if it doesn't, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago," he had said earlier in the week.
Wider regional escalation
The resumed strikes also follow Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, where Iran was among the central topics discussed. The White House described the talks as "positive and productive."
The conflict has spread beyond Iranian territory. Earlier this week, the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out coordinated strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq after more than 30 drone attacks over three days targeting US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
The Popular Mobilisation Forces said at least 20 people were killed in the joint operation, which Centcom said targeted logistics hubs and weapons facilities used by Iran-backed groups. Saudi Arabia had confirmed its air defences intercepted drones targeting oil facilities in the kingdom's Eastern Province, blaming Iran-aligned armed groups operating from Iraqi territory.
The brief pause in US military operations against Iran is over. American forces resumed air strikes on Thursday night at 8 pm ET, targeting locations inside Iran in direct response to what Washington described as an attempted Iranian ballistic missile attack on US troops in the region. Multiple explosions were reported across Iran's south shortly after the strikes began.
US Central Command confirmed the resumption. "US forces began launching strikes against Iran at 8 pm ET today. The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday's attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East," Centcom said on X.
Iranian media reported three explosions on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tasnim News Agency saying a missile strike hit a residential area on the island. Explosions were also reported in Bushehr and several other southern locations. There was no immediate official confirmation of casualties or the extent of the damage.
What triggered the resumption
The strikes came after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired multiple ballistic missiles at a US air base and another military installation in Jordan, the first direct Iranian ballistic missile attack on an American military base since Washington had paused its bombing campaign to allow diplomatic talks to proceed. Centcom said all incoming missiles were intercepted, with no casualties or damage reported.
President Trump made his intention clear at the White House on Wednesday. "So it's our turn," he told reporters. "We're going to hit them very hard."
Even as he vowed a forceful response, Trump left a diplomatic door open. "We're having good talks. I think there's a good chance that something could happen, and if it doesn't, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago," he had said earlier in the week.
Wider regional escalation
The resumed strikes also follow Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, where Iran was among the central topics discussed. The White House described the talks as "positive and productive."
The conflict has spread beyond Iranian territory. Earlier this week, the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out coordinated strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq after more than 30 drone attacks over three days targeting US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
The Popular Mobilisation Forces said at least 20 people were killed in the joint operation, which Centcom said targeted logistics hubs and weapons facilities used by Iran-backed groups. Saudi Arabia had confirmed its air defences intercepted drones targeting oil facilities in the kingdom's Eastern Province, blaming Iran-aligned armed groups operating from Iraqi territory.