"We will strike them hard, and they will suffer a painful blow", President Donald Trump told Fox News on 29/7. He added, "We will hit them severely".

Trump's comments came after US Central Command (CENTCOM), the unit responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, reported that Iran had carried out a "surprise ballistic missile attack" targeting forces stationed in the region on 28/7.

Trump stated that US forces at a base in Jordan had only a few minutes to respond to the attack and shot down the missiles before they could reach their targets. He mentioned watching a video showing US service members continuously calling out target coordinates in real-time during the interception.

Tehran confirmed launching missiles at US military facilities in Jordan, while the Jordanian military reported intercepting 5 Iranian missiles with US support.

President Donald Trump speaking in Milford, Michigan on 27/7. Photo: AP

Also in the Fox News interview, Trump stated that the overnight bombing campaign by the US-Saudi coalition targeting Iran-backed militias inside Iraqi territory on 28/7 was coordinated with the government in Baghdad.

Trump called these militia groups "a tumor of the world" and said Washington was considering issuing further warnings to Iran-backed proxy forces.

The airstrike campaign in Iraq followed Riyadh's accusations that Iran-backed militias attacked Saudi oil facilities. Riyadh had also previously announced intercepting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) it believed were launched by these groups.

The US military stated that the airstrikes in Iraq targeted logistics sites and weapons depots of an Iran-backed group.

Location of Iran and regional countries. Graphic: Guardian

Meanwhile, the Iraqi President's Office condemned the airstrikes, calling them "unacceptable and a blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty". The statement also affirmed Baghdad's opposition to using Iraqi territory to launch attacks on neighboring countries.

Clashes in the region resumed just days after the US and Iran announced a halt to mutual attacks. President Trump stated the US stopped airstrikes at Iran's request, while Tehran denied reports that it had proactively sought negotiations with Washington.

Thanh Tam (According to Fox News, AFP)