U.S. and Saudi Forces Conduct New Strikes as Iran-U.S. Diplomatic Efforts Stall

The United States and Saudi Arabia carried out joint airstrikes on logistics and weapons facilities used by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, marking the first publicly announced cooperation between the two allies in the ongoing conflict. Iran responded by firing ballistic missiles at the Muwaffaq Salti air base in Jordan, a key U.S. hub, which the White House said were intercepted.

President Donald Trump, speaking in the Oval Office, said the United States would “hit them very hard” after a thwarted attack on a U.S. base in Jordan, while a senior U.S. military official described the response as a “powerful” retaliation against attempted Iranian attacks. Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, conveying Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's view that Iran continues to support proxies in Yemen, Iraq and elsewhere, and emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s desire for de-escalation and a return to negotiations.

Despite recent diplomatic overtures, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Tehran has not requested to restart talks for more than two weeks. Analysts noted that mutual distrust has grown since a mid-June cease-fire proposal collapsed, and that both sides now view the other as an unreliable negotiating partner.

The renewed fighting has raised concerns about U.S. munitions stockpiles, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies warning that depleted Patriot and THAAD interceptors could limit defensive capabilities. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine reportedly briefed the president on the impact of these shortages on future operations.

The escalation comes as the conflict, which has drawn in several regional actors, threatens to widen further, with recent drone strikes igniting fires on natural-gas vessels in Egypt and the Houthi movement in Yemen claiming to have targeted a Saudi oil tanker.