Iran fired ballistic missiles at US forces in the Middle East, CENTCOM says
Multiple ballistic missiles were fired from Iran at United States forces in the Middle East at 5.45pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the American military headquarters responsible for operations across the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South Asia.
All the missiles were intercepted, the command said in a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter).
It described the launch as an attempted surprise attack and said the missiles were fired by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces.
The location of the US forces that were targeted was not identified in the statement. And, Iran has not commented publicly on the launch.
What is known about the missiles
Initial estimates put the number at no more than four ballistic missiles, a US official told CNN.
No casualties or damage were reported in the CENTCOM statement.
The launch came roughly a day after President Donald Trump said the US had halted strikes on Iran and that Tehran had wanted to talk.
The Associated Press reported on 26 July that the two sides had paused their attacks after days of escalation, with air strikes halted and talks continuing.
Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House earlier on Tuesday. The meeting ended before the reported launch, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
How the conflict has developed
Trump announced major combat operations against Iran on 28 February, with joint US and Israeli strikes on military, government and infrastructure sites. Delegations from the two countries entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both sides. Strikes have continued despite those talks, with the Strait of Hormuz the main flashpoint.
More than 20 US Navy warships are operating across the Middle East, CENTCOM said on Tuesday.
Iran's account of recent strikes
Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said at a briefing on Tuesday that the recent US attacks had caused severe damage to civilian infrastructure across Iran, including airports, bridges, railways and energy facilities. She also said more than 350 Iranian government employees had been killed.
Those figures have not been independently verified, and the US has not responded to them publicly.
