U.S. President Donald Trump warned of a strong retaliation for Iran's surprise attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. He also hinted at the possibility of additionally striking pro-Iran proxies in the Middle East, escalating tensions again between the United States and Iran.
On the 29th, local time, Fox News said Trump, in a phone interview that morning and using profanity, said, "We're going to beat the hell out of them." He added, "We will hit hard. They are going to get hit," he emphasized.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired several ballistic missiles in a surprise launch the previous evening targeting a U.S. base in Jordan. Trump said U.S. forces had only a few minutes to respond to the attack but intercepted all the missiles before they reached their targets. U.S. Central Command also said it successfully intercepted all the missiles Iran launched.
The United States carried out consecutive airstrikes on Iran for about two weeks starting on the 11th and halted the attacks on the 24th. Observers say the surprise attack has increased the likelihood that U.S. airstrikes against Iran will resume.
Regarding the U.S. and Saudi Arabia's airstrikes on pro-Iran militias in Iraq on the 28th, Trump said the action was coordinated with the Iraqi government.
He condemned the militia as "a cancer on the world" and said he is considering additional warnings to Iran's proxies. Fox News interpreted this as a remark hinting at the possibility of additional strikes on pro-Iran forces in the Middle East.
As Saudi Arabia, which has largely refrained from public counterattacks against Iran since the war began, joined U.S. airstrikes targeting pro-Iran militias, concerns are growing about an expanded conflict in the Middle East.