The United States launched a new round of airstrikes against Iran on Wednesday, hours after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile attack on a U.S. airbase in Jordan, as confirmed by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in an official statement.
The attacks began at 8:00 PM Eastern Time and were described by Washington as "a powerful response to Iranian attempts to attack US forces deployed in the Middle East," according to information released by the EFE agency.
The Iranian attack that triggered the retaliation took place on Tuesday, when the IRGC launched ballistic missiles at the U.S. base in Jordan in what CENTCOM referred to as a "surprising" action.
The U.S. armed forces claimed to have intercepted each of the projectiles, while Jordan reported having downed five missiles launched from Iranian territory.
Before the bombing began, President Donald Trump warned Iran in particularly direct terms during an interview with Fox News.
"We're going to give them a damn beating," declared the leader. "We'll hit them hard. They're going to get a beating," he insisted, according to a report by a journalist from that network.
From the Oval Office, Trump reiterated the threat with equal force: "We're going to hit them hard because it's our turn now. They know what's coming."
The president also explained that his forces had only a few minutes to intercept and shoot down the Iranian missiles, and that he personally reviewed a video showing the military communicating coordinates in real time during the operation.
The resumption of the attacks occurred after a brief diplomatic pause.
On July 26 and 27, Trump had ordered to halt the bombings against Iran to allow for negotiations, but Tehran responded with the attack on Tuesday against the base in Jordan, effectively closing that diplomatic window.
On the same Wednesday, and parallel to the escalation, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia carried out precision airstrikes against positions of Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq, causing 20 deaths and 32 injuries among the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
Trump confirmed that this operation was coordinated in advance with the Iraqi government, and he described the pro-Iranian Shia groups in the region as a "cancer," warning that he is considering new actions against them.
According to CENTCOM, in the 72 hours prior to the attacks on Wednesday, the IRGC had launched more than 30 drone attacks against U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructures.
The conflict between Washington and Tehran has been active for more than five months, with multiple pauses and resumptions of hostilities.
Since the U.S. carried out more than 13 consecutive nights of bombings after breaking the truce on July 8, the new escalation on Wednesday has left peace negotiations in suspense, which have failed to solidify in any of their previous rounds.
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