Iran launches missiles at U.S. base for first time since Trump paused strikes

Iran launches missiles at U.S. base for first time since Trump paused strikes

Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles toward a U.S. military base in Jordan on Tuesday in what U.S. Central Command described as an "attempted surprise attack."

  • All of the missiles were intercepted, CENTCOM said in a statement.

    • Why it matters: This marks Iran's first ballistic missile attack against a U.S. base in the region since President Trump paused strikes against Iran on Friday to give diplomacy another chance.

  • The attack threatens to unravel the fragile pause and could force Trump to decide whether to resume military action.

    • What they're saying: Trump told Axios on Monday that the U.S. was in "very deep talks" with Iran but warned that he would return to "very strong military action" if diplomacy failed.

  • "Not much time," Trump said when asked how long he was willing to give the negotiations. "Either it goes fast or not at all."

    • State of play: CENTCOM said forces from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched the missiles at 5:45pm ET.

  • "U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness," the command said.

    • The big picture: Iran targeted the same country where two U.S. service members were killed in a missile and drone barrage earlier this month, prompting Trump to intensify his 13-night campaign of strikes.

  • The launch came hours after Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for talks focused heavily on Iran. The White House described the meeting as "positive and productive."

    • Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.