Trump vows retaliation for Iranian missile attack; US, Saudi Arabia strike Iraq

President Donald Trump has pledged a forceful response to Iran's surprise missile attack on U.S. forces in Jordan, escalating tensions across the Middle East.

In an interview with Fox News reporter Troy Yingst on Wednesday, Trump stated, "We're going to beat the fucking shit out of them," referring to Iran. "We'll be hitting them hard. They're going to get a beating."

Yingst reported that Trump described how U.S. forces had "just minutes to shoot down these incoming Iranian ballistic missiles." The president said he reviewed video of the shootdown, noting it was "real time; they were calling out coordinates and ensuring that none of this incoming Iranian fire got through."

Regarding potential diplomatic engagement, Trump said, "We're going to let them keep talking," adding that talks are "taking place as we speak behind the scenes."

The Attack

On Tuesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) "launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East," according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The command stated that "all Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted" and that "U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness."

The attack began at 5:45 p.m. ET, CENTCOM reported.

Iranian state media outlet Press TV released video it claimed showed a missile attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base (MSAB) in Jordan. The base has been frequently targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. Three U.S. Army soldiers were killed in an attack there on July 17.

U.S.-Saudi Joint Strikes

Trump also addressed the combined U.S.-Saudi strike on Iraqi militias linked to the IRGC. The action appears to mark the first publicly known instance of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia jointly carrying out attacks in this conflict.

The president said the strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government, according to Yingst. Trump called the Iran-backed militias "a cancer on the world" and said he is considering additional warnings against Iranian proxies and their link to the Iranian regime.

CENTCOM confirmed on Tuesday that its forces, along with the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, "conducted precision strikes in Iraq, July 28, against Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed to attack U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure."

"U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial attacks," CENTCOM added.

Iraqi Militia Response

Hours before Trump's comments, Iraqi militia groups condemned the strikes.

Harakat al-Nujaba (HaN), an armed group within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), said the attacks would be avenged, according to Al Jazeera. The PMF reported at least 20 members killed and 32 wounded in the U.S.-Saudi airstrikes across Iraq.

In a statement, HaN demanded the expulsion of U.S. forces from Iraq, saying their continued presence "has become an imminent threat to the country's security and stability." The group also called for an end to cooperation with Saudi Arabia, demanded the deployment of advanced air defense systems, and threatened retaliatory attacks against U.S. and Saudi interests.

Cleric Calls for Restraint

Influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr urged the IRGC and allied armed groups to stop launching attacks from Iraq.

"Since this holy land was not a launching point for bombing the Islamic Republic, then our brothers in the Revolutionary Guard must not bomb our independent and holy lands," al-Sadr posted on X. "Likewise, the rogue militias must not give our brothers in the Gulf Arab states a pretext to target our holy land."

"Everyone must embrace the spirit of brotherhood and peace and not be drawn into the schemes of the Zionist-American enemy to drag brothers into fighting and conflict," he added.

Al-Sadr also condemned the targeting of Iraqi territory by all countries and parties, denounced "the shameless actions of the militias to drag Iraq into a pointless war," and called on the Iraqi government to "establish security, enforce sovereignty, and work diligently for the safety of the Iraqi people and their holy sites."

Broader Regional Tensions

The latest escalation follows a several-day pause in U.S.-Iranian tit-for-tat actions. After the Iranian barrage, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia struck Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq in response to previous attacks from Iraq on U.S. and Saudi assets.

Meanwhile, the Houthis are reportedly considering imposing a toll on Bab al-Mandeb Strait transits, further heightening regional tensions.