Jordan's military intercepted five Iranian ballistic missiles fired towards US installations early on Wednesday, while American and Saudi forces struck Iranian-backed militia sites across eastern Iraq. The exchange shattered a brief three-day pause in hostilities and marks a serious escalation in the broader confrontation between the US and Iran, raising fears of a wider regional war that could threaten critical shipping routes including the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the missile launches, which targeted the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and US Central Command headquarters. The US strikes came in response to more than 30 drone attacks by Iranian-backed forces over the preceding 72 hours, hitting logistics and weapons sites used by the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, which reported at least 20 fighters killed and 32 wounded. The US has warned that further attacks on its troops or on Saudi energy infrastructure would prompt additional action, while Saudi Arabia said it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression; four American troops have reportedly been killed in the fighting in recent weeks.