The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. military operations in Iran, announced on the 28th (local time) that the Iranian military fired ballistic missiles toward U.S. military bases in the Middle East.

CENTCOM stated on X (formerly Twitter) that "at 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces launched multiple ballistic missiles in an attempted surprise attack from Iran against U.S. military bases in the Middle East."

It added, "All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted," and "U.S. forces remain vigilant and maintain a high level of readiness."

While CENTCOM did not specify which country in the Middle East hosted the targeted U.S. base, Barak Ravid, a reporter for the U.S. internet outlet Axios, cited a U.S. official in a social media post stating that a base in Jordan was the target.

With Iran's attack, the lull in armed exchanges that had lasted for five days up to this day appears to face a renewed crisis.

The U.S. military had continued airstrikes against Iran for 13 consecutive days before halting them on the 24th, and Iran had also since suspended its retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East.

Amid the pause in armed conflict, U.S. President Donald Trump has forecasted that talks with Iran are underway and that the likelihood of reaching a deal is high, while also threatening to launch even stronger airstrikes against Iran should the negotiations fail.

The reason behind the Iranian military's targeting of U.S. bases with airstrikes is not yet known.

However, CENTCOM stated in another X post that "together with Saudi armed forces on July 28 in Iraq, we conducted precision strikes against Iran-aligned terrorists directed by the IRGC to attack U.S. and Saudi energy infrastructure."

It explained, "In a strong response to over 30 drone attacks directed by the IRGC over the past 72 hours, U.S. and Saudi fighter jets struck multiple terrorist logistical and weapon depots spanning eastern Iraq."

The exact chronological order between Iran's ballistic missile strike targeting U.S. bases and the U.S.-Saudi coalition's precision strikes against pro-Iranian militias in Iraq has not been confirmed.

Nonetheless, based on the circumstances so far, Iran's new ballistic missile attack appears likely to be retaliation for the U.S. and Saudi military strikes against Iran's proxy forces.

CENTCOM warned, "Between February and April of this year, Iran-linked terrorist militias in Iraq attempted over 600 attacks targeting U.S. citizens and facilities," adding, "The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. response."