Brief lull pierced as Iran fires missiles at US forces and joint US-Saudi strikes target Iranian proxies in Iraq.
• Tensions escalate: US President Donald Trump promised retribution after the US military said it intercepted a “surprise attack” by Iran on its forces, ending days of relative calm in the Middle East. “We are going to beat the f**king sh*t out of them,” Trump told Fox News. Jordan’s military said it intercepted and brought down five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday.
• Joint US-Saudi strikes: US Central Command also said Saudi Arabian forces joined strikes against the Iran-allied Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq. The PMF said at least 20 people were killed. So far, Saudi Arabia has largely resisted being pulled fully into the Middle East conflict.
• Energy shock: Oil prices rose in the wake of the renewed fighting. Tankers are looking for new shipping routes, as transits of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait have sharply fallen since a Houthi blockade against Saudi ports was announced and Strait of Hormuz traffic remains very low.
The Trump administration on Wednesday imposed sanctions on two Iranian firms accused of supporting a protection racket in the Strait of Hormuz.
