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Trump vows retaliation
President Donald Trump said the U.S. would retaliate after an Iranian ballistic missile attack on U.S. forces in Jordan was intercepted, telling Fox News on Wednesday that the U.S. will “beat the fucking shit out of them.”
“the U.S. will “beat the fucking shit out of them.””
Trump said the U.S. would be “hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating,” after the overnight attack occurred in Jordan, according to Iranian state media.
The attack came after Trump met on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the ongoing war against Iran, and the relationship between the two leaders had been under strain as it dragged on.
Iran said on Wednesday that the intercepted attack targeted an American military base in Jordan, and Jordan’s military said it intercepted five missiles.
The U.S.-Saudi joint forces struck Iranian-allied forces in Iraq, and the Popular Mobilization Forces said at least 20 people were killed in the attack.
Oil markets and policy
Global oil prices surged and stocks plunged on Wednesday after an Iranian attack elicited a vow of reprisal from President Donald Trump, ending a brief calm that had renewed hope among investors of a negotiated resolution.
ABC News said a benchmark index for worldwide crude prices climbed nearly 8% on Wednesday, crossing above $90 a barrel, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 1,153 points, or 2.1%.
The ABC News report tied the selloff to a Federal Reserve decision issued on Wednesday afternoon that opted to hold interest rates steady and voiced a forceful commitment to address elevated inflation.
ABC News also said the average price of a gallon of gas currently stands at $4.09, according to AAA, marking a 37% jump since war broke out in late February.
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh told reporters in Washington, D.C., last month, “Persistently high prices are a burden for the American people,” and said, “This committee will deliver price stability.”
Interceptions, strikes, and stakes
U.S. Central Command said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an “attempted surprise attack” on U.S. forces in the Middle East, and that all Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted.
“all Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted.”
Jordan’s military said five Iranian missiles had been intercepted and destroyed, while there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, according to Fox News.
In response, the U.S. military later announced that American and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple Iran-backed Shiite logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq.
The Stars and Stripes report said the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq said 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded, and that the attacks against U.S. forces were unsuccessful.
Trump told Fox News that “If we don’t make a deal, we’ll take it out very easily,” while the Pentagon’s casualty database counted 18 service members killed and at least 642 wounded in the war.
