US launches large strike against Iran after Egyptian port drone attack

U.S. Central Command announced that on Wednesday night (0200 GMT Thursday) U.S. forces carried out a "heavy wave of strikes" against dozens of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets, including military command centres, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities. The operation was a response to Iran’s attempted missile attacks the previous day and to an apparent drone strike that set fire to a U.S.-owned liquefied natural gas carrier docked at an Egyptian port.

More than 50,000 U.S. service members are deployed across the Middle East. President Donald Trump pledged a strong retaliation and met with Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, who told U.S. Vice‑President J.D. Vance that Saudi Arabia could handle the Houthi threat without further U.S. involvement. The United States also reported intercepting an Iranian missile attempt aimed at U.S. forces and conducting joint Saudi‑U.S. strikes against Iran‑backed militias in Iraq.