US President announces harsh retaliation, Jordanian army claims no casualties, and UNIAN reports three US soldiers killed. At the same time, a US tanker was attacked in the Egyptian port of Damietta on the Mediterranean.
US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, with a very strong response after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired several ballistic missiles at US military facilities in Jordan a day earlier. In an interview with Fox News and in statements to reporters at the White House, Trump said, "Now it's our turn," and announced that the US would strike back forcefully. "We will hit them hard, they will get a good beating," Trump was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian media outlet UNIAN, which relayed his words from a Russian translation.
According to UNIAN, three US soldiers were killed in the attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a key military hub for US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Jordan. However, Hindustan Times cites the Jordanian army, which claims it intercepted and destroyed five Iranian missiles and that there are no reports of casualties. Al Jazeera and Index.hr do not specify casualty figures. The IRGC claimed responsibility for the attack, stating via Iran's state television IRIB: "As long as threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the illegal and evil actions of US forces against our interests continue, resistance will persist."
On the same day, July 28, the United States and Saudi Arabia conducted joint precision strikes against pro-Iranian militants in Iraq. According to data cited by Hindustan Times, the attacks killed four Iranian military advisers and more than 20 fighters. CENTCOM confirmed the operation, stating it was a response to over 30 drone attacks directed by the IRGC in the last 72 hours. "Unprovoked attacks on US forces have been unsuccessful. The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response," CENTCOM said.
The pro-Iranian alliance of armed groups "Islamic Revolution in Iraq" warned on Wednesday, according to AFP, that a response to the deadly strikes is "inevitable" and could target US "assets in Saudi Arabia." The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the joint strikes, calling them a "clear attack on the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq" and a violation of the UN Charter.
Trump also confirmed that he was briefed on a drone attack on a US gas storage tanker in the Egyptian Mediterranean port of Damietta, as reported by Index.hr. This incident directly affects maritime and energy security in the Mediterranean, and consequently Croatia as a NATO member. Given that the Strait of Hormuz is again blocked due to Iranian attacks, alternative shipping routes and energy infrastructure in the Mediterranean become crucial for the stability of energy supply in Europe.
The escalation comes after the US and Iran agreed in June 2026 on a 60-day negotiation period, but the ceasefire effectively collapsed in July, according to UNIAN. Additionally, Reuters reported that Iran could soon receive up to 400 Chinese portable anti-aircraft missile systems. Commenting on these reports, Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had told him "very clearly" that China would not participate in a war on Iran's side. "Xi made it very clear to me that he would not participate, and he knows I would be very disappointed," Trump said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him the same.
