US intercepts Iranian attack and launches joint strikes with Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed militias in Iraq

The US military said on Tuesday that it knocked down an Iranian missile barrage and worked with Saudi Arabia's forces to strike sites in Iraq that Tehran-backed militias have used to launch attacks in recent days, shattering a brief pause in fighting.

All Iranian missiles launched against American forces in the Middle East were intercepted, US Central Command said, adding that they “remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”

In announcing the strikes in Iraq, the US warned that further attacks on American troops or Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure risked additional action.

Iran launched its ballistic missile attack before US and Saudi forces carried out strikes in Iraq, according to an American official, who stressed that the two attacks were not connected.

“US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” the US Central Command said in a statement following its joint operation.

It said the Revolutionary Guard “and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response.”