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US Thwarts Iranian Missile Attack 07/29 06:12
The U.S. military said 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.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. military said 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, U.S. Central Command said, adding that they "remain vigilant
and at a high state of readiness." In announcing the strikes in Iraq, the U.S.
warned that further attacks on American troops or Saudi Arabia's energy
infrastructure risked additional action.
The United States and Iran had experienced a period of calm, during which
neither announced attacks for days following weeks of escalation over the
strategic Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway and narrow chokepoint
through which 20% of the world's traded oil normally flows.
There was no immediate comment from Tehran on the U.S. military statement or
the strikes.
The fighting flared at the end of a month packed with multiple pressure
points on President Donald Trump. In recent weeks, four U.S. troops died during
the fighting, while the Pentagon asked an increasingly skeptical Congress for
money to cover the conflict's ballooning costs.
High gasoline prices tied to the choked-off Strait of Hormuz are
contributing to fears that Republicans are vulnerable in November's midterm
elections. The U.S. House narrowly passed a resolution to halt military action
in Iran last week, sending another warning to Trump that reflects the war's
unpopularity with many Americans.
Trump has repeatedly retreated from threats to knock out bridges, power
plants and other infrastructure but he told Fox News Channel earlier Tuesday
that Iran knows he'll "finish the job" if its leaders don't make a deal to end
the war.
Saudi Arabia and US strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq
Iran launched its ballistic missile attack before American and Saudi forces
carried out strikes in Iraq, according to a U.S. official, who stressed that
the two attacks were not connected. The official spoke on condition of
anonymity to detail sensitive military operations.
"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 drone attacks in the last 72 hours," U.S. Central Command said, using an
acronym for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
It said the Revolutionary Guard "and its terrorist proxies must cease these
attacks to avoid further U.S. military response."
The Saudi Defense Ministry acknowledged the strikes in a post on social
media, warning that "the Kingdom emphasizes that it does not seek escalation
but will respond to any aggression it faces."
Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that it shot down drones fired by Iran-backed
militias in Iraq for a second day, while Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen
claimed to have forced a Saudi oil tanker to turn around as part of their
self-styled blockade of the kingdom.
The kingdom's Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted and destroyed
several drones that had tried to target petroleum facilities in the nation's
eastern region.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate
after the Saudis alleged a similar attack on Monday. The Iraqi military said
the country is committed to "preventing Iraqi territory from being used as a
route or launching point for any attack targeting brotherly or friendly
countries."
The Iraqi militias have denied any role in the drone attacks. The Islamic
Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed groups, called the
Saudi claims "fabrications" and implied that Monday's attacks were carried out
by the Houthis, who had themselves claimed to have attacked Saudi oil
facilities.
A Saudi oil tanker is targeted
The Houthis claimed to have fired missiles at the Saudi oil tanker NCC
Ghazal, forcing it to turn back. Last week, they announced a blockade of Saudi
shipping, putting another key Middle Eastern waterway -- through the Bab
el-Mandeb strait leading to the Red Sea -- at risk.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said a tanker reported
hearing explosions while traveling in the southern Red Sea. It did not name the
tanker but said the crew and vessel were safe.
The rebels fired on at least one Saudi tanker in the Red Sea last week.
Iran and the U.S. had paused their fighting over the weekend, though
tensions remained high even as officials said mediators achieved progress in
getting the two sides back to negotiations.
Iran said earlier Tuesday that U.S. strikes during an earlier period of
escalation destroyed an airport and a marine control tower, and caused damage
to 12 bridges and two tunnels, among other infrastructure.
Iran had effectively closed the strait when the war began by firing at
freighters and tankers off its coast or threatening them. Following the signing
of an interim ceasefire deal in June, a battle for control over the strait
erupted.
Iran demanded that ships use a route near its coastline and said it can
potentially charge fees. Ships were increasingly navigating a southern route
along the coast of Oman under a U.S. overwatch operation when Iran attacked
some vessels.
Trump sits down with Netanyahu in Washington
The new strikes came on the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu visited Trump at the White House for the first time since the two
launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28. Israel has been notably absent from
the recent fighting with the Islamic Republic.
Netanyahu said it was an "excellent" meeting, and Trump called it "very
good," noting that "many important subjects were discussed."
Meanwhile, the U.S. ability to intercept Iran's incoming strikes has become
an increasingly salient issue as lawmakers, members of the military and experts
raise concerns over the nation's diminishing stockpiles of missile interceptors.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, pushed back on those
concerns, saying the military "has everything it needs to execute at the time
and place of the president's choosing."
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