Iran fires missiles at US forces as ceasefire push falters in Middle East

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 29, 2026 04:44 IST

Iran fired multiple ballistic missiles at American forces in the Middle East on Tuesday, ending a brief lull in fighting as mediators tried to bring both sides back to talks and towards a ceasefire, the US military said. US Central Command said all the missiles were intercepted successfully and added that US forces “remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”

The attack came after days of relative calm between the United States and Iran following weeks of escalation centred on the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic Persian Gulf waterway through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil normally passes. Iran had effectively shut the strait when the war began by firing at freighters and tankers off its coast and issuing threats, and a struggle over control of the route has continued even after an interim ceasefire deal was signed in June.

Iran had demanded that ships use a route near its coastline and said it could potentially charge fees. More ships had been using a southern route along Oman’s coast under a US overwatch operation when Iran attacked some vessels.

Earlier on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said it had shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq for a second day. At the same time, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they had forced a Saudi oil tanker to turn back as part of what they described as a blockade of the kingdom. Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said air defences intercepted and destroyed several drones that had tried to target petroleum facilities in the eastern region. It said the attacks were “once again launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by Iran-affiliated terrorist militias.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate after Saudi Arabia alleged a similar attack on Monday. The Iraqi military said Iraq was committed to “preventing Iraqi territory from being used as a route or launching point for any attack targeting brotherly or friendly countries”. The militias denied any role. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed groups, called the Saudi claims “fabrications” and suggested that Monday’s attacks had been carried out by the Houthis, who had themselves claimed attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

Meanwhile, the Houthis said they fired missiles at the Saudi oil tanker NCC Ghazal, forcing it to turn back. Last week, they announced a blockade of Saudi shipping, raising the risk to another key regional waterway through the Bab el-Mandeb strait leading to the Red Sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said a tanker reported hearing explosions while travelling in the southern Red Sea. It did not name the vessel, but said the crew and ship were safe. The rebels had fired on at least one Saudi tanker in the Red Sea last week.

Iran and the US had paused their fighting over the weekend, though tensions remained high even as officials said mediators had made progress in getting the two sides back to negotiations. Iran said on Tuesday that earlier US strikes had destroyed an airport and a marine control tower, and damaged 12 bridges and two tunnels, among other infrastructure. The US military had said at the time that it struck numerous military targets in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Arab countries hosting US forces.

The latest Iranian strikes also came as Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington and met US President Donald Trump. The US and Israel had launched the war against Iran on February 28, though Israel has been notably absent from the recent fighting with the Islamic Republic. Netanyahu said he had an “excellent” meeting with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, their first sit-down since the war began. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the nearly 90-minute closed-door meeting was “positive and productive”. The White House did not immediately give further details.

Tuesday’s developments underlined how quickly the conflict has widened again, with fresh Iranian missile fire, drone attacks linked to Iraq, Houthi action in the Red Sea and renewed diplomatic activity in Washington all unfolding at the same time.

With PTI Inputs

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