US Intercepts Iranian Ballistic Missile Attack in Middle East

All of the Iranian missiles in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces were successfully intercepted, according to U.S. Central Command.

The Pentagon seal is seen in the briefing room at the Pentagon in Washington on March 31, 2026. Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East, and all of the Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted, U.S. Central Command announced Thursday.

“U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness,” U.S. Central Command stated in a post on X.

U.S. Central Command said July 28 there were more than 20 U.S. Navy warships operating across the Middle East supporting military missions. That includes enforcement of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States has redirected 18 commercial vessels, disabled two ships, and boarded two other ships while enforcing the blockade as of July 28.

U.S. Central Command also said Tuesday that it has coordinated with Saudi Arabian Armed Forces and launched strikes against Iran-aligned terrorists in Iraq on Tuesday. It said that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had directed those terrorists to attack U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

Iran-backed terrorists in Iraq have launched more than 30 aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours, none of which were successful, according to the U.S. military. From February through April of this year, they carried out more than 600 attempted attacks on U.S. citizens and facilities, according to the command.

President Donald Trump said July 28 that the United States will strike Iran’s suspected nuclear site at Pickaxe Mountain if Iran doesn’t reach a nuclear agreement with the United States.

Speaking on “Fox & Friends,” Trump said the United States is closely monitoring the fortified underground facility and already knows what is occurring there. He said Iran’s nuclear program remains the central issue in negotiations and reiterated that the regime will never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Trump said previous U.S. strikes severely damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and warned additional military action could target Pickaxe Mountain, power plants, and bridges if talks fail. He added that while some favor more strikes, he still hopes to reach a negotiated agreement with the regime.

The U.S. president had said July 27 that the United States and Iran were having “good talks” but said that strikes could easily resume.

July 27 was the third consecutive day of a pause in U.S. attacks against Iran after a 13-day bombing campaign against the country.

“Iran took a beating over the last 14 days,” Trump said. “They asked us very nicely, ‘Please stop, let’s meet.’”

During the U.S. pause in bombing, Iran launched drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq, the countries reported Monday.

“You can’t bribe them. You’ve got to beat them, and ​we’ll beat the hell out of them,” Trump said about Iran at a rally in Michigan on Monday. “But we’ll see how it turns out. Right now, there are very friendly negotiations going on.”