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Missiles, strikes, and deaths
Iran launched a barrage of missiles at American forces in the Middle East on Wednesday as the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Tehran-backed militias in neighboring Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.
“killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers”
The U.S. military later announced that American and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq in response to alleged drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, while Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it fired ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
Jordan’s military said five Iranian missiles had been intercepted and destroyed, and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
In Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces said at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 wounded in the overnight strikes, while two Iraqi militia officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that six Iranian advisers were also killed.
The flare-up on multiple fronts after several days of relative calm raised the risk of a return to all-out war, according to the Associated Press.
Reactions and competing narratives
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry warned that it “does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression,” while the Popular Mobilisation Forces condemned the strikes as “a highly dangerous escalation” and a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and official security institutions.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a self-proclaimed resistance armed group backed by Iran, said Saudi claims were “fabrications” and that “any foolish Saudi action will be met with a harsh response.”
In Washington, Trump told Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich that reports China would send 400 rocket launchers to Iran via Pakistan would be “surprising,” and he said President Xi Jinping had assured him Beijing would not become involved.
In Baghdad, the Iraqi presidency denounced the air raids on the PMF as “a blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, targeting its official institutions,” and the BBC reported Labour Minister Tahmina Akhter would launch an immediate investigation—though that BBC line was about the Narayanganj factory fire, not the Iraq strikes.
The Guardian framed Riyadh’s decision to publicly join the U.S. in striking PMF-associated sites as pushing the region into “uncharted territory,” while also noting Tehran’s allies in Yemen and beyond had become increasingly drawn in.
What’s at stake next
The Associated Press said the renewed hostilities sent oil prices spiking, with Brent crude jumping 7.3% to $88.093 a barrel, and it described the wider conflict as unpopular among Americans.
“Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 7.3% to $88.093 a barrel”
DW reported that the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) continued to “impartially” enforce a naval blockade against ships looking to dock in or depart from Iranian ports, and it said that as of July 29 CENTCOM had redirected 20 commercial vessels, disabled two, and boarded two.
DW also said its previous post claimed that since early May it had helped “approximately 1,000 vessels and 500 million barrels of crude oil pass through the narrow waterway,” while the International Energy Agency figure was cited as an average of 20 million barrels per day transited through the Strait in 2025.
The Hill reported that Saudi Arabia responded to drone strikes targeting Aramco’s Abqaiq oil processing facility, described as the world’s largest crude stabilization plant with capacity to produce approximately 7 million barrels of crude oil per day.
In the background of the escalating Iran-U.S. confrontation, the Associated Press noted mediators had expressed optimism about bringing the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table, but an interim agreement collapsed in recent weeks over renewed fighting in the Strait of Hormuz.
