US says it intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles launched towards US forces in Middle East

The US military said on Tuesday it intercepted multiple ballistic missiles ​launched by Iran towards US forces in the Middle East in what Washington cast ‌as "an attempted surprise attack" by Tehran.

The statement by the US Central Command did not mention the exact location it said Iran attempted to target.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards later said they fired several ballistic missiles at ​a US air base and a US military Central Command center in Jordan, in ​what they described as a response to US actions against Iranian interests.

Axios ⁠reported earlier, citing a US official, that Iran had launched ballistic missiles towards a ​US base in Jordan and the missiles were intercepted.

"Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic ​missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted," the Central Command said on X.

US President Donald Trump, who abruptly called off a two-week ​US bombing campaign on Iran over the weekend, has said there were "good talks" under ​way with Tehran but threatened to restart strikes unless negotiations delivered. Iran has denied seeking to resume talks ‌with ⁠Washington.

Read: Trump cites 'good' talks on Iran, reiterates threat to hit targets

The US military said later that the Central Command and Saudi Arabia's armed forces conducted strikes in Iraq on what the US said were sites of Iran-backed militant groups that were directed by Tehran to attack American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

US and Saudi fighter aircraft ​struck those groups' logistics ​and weapons sites ⁠across eastern Iraq, Washington said, urging Iran and its proxies to "cease these attacks to avoid further US military response."

Saudi Arabia also confirmed the ​strikes in Iraq that it said were coordinated with the Central ​Command. Saudi ⁠Arabia's government said it did not seek escalation but would respond to any "aggression." Riyadh cast the strikes as a response to drone attacks on oil facilities.

The Iran war began on February 28 ⁠when ​the US and Israel attacked Iran. Tehran responded with ​its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on ​Lebanon have since killed thousands and displaced millions.

IRGC Navy says it 'targeted and stopped' 3 oil tankers over alleged violations in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said early Wednesday that it "targeted and stopped" three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessels ignored its warnings, according to local media.

In a statement, the IRGC said the vessels were intercepted "a few hours ago" but did not provide details on the tankers' identities, ownership, locations or the nature of the alleged violations.

"The IRGC Navy once again warns that the illegal interventions and orders of the US, a child-killing army, will not go unanswered by vessels in the region," it said.