US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Iran of a forceful military response after American bases in Jordan came under missile attack, saying the United States would retaliate “hard” following what the US military described as an attempted surprise strike.Speaking to Fox News, Trump said the US had successfully intercepted the incoming missiles before they reached their targets.“We are going to beat the effing S out of them,” Trump said.“We’ll be hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating,” he added.The remarks came after US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had thwarted an “attempted surprise attack” by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting American forces in the Middle East with multiple ballistic missiles. According to CENTCOM, all of the missiles were successfully intercepted.Trump said US forces had only minutes to respond to the attack and managed to intercept the missiles before impact. He also said he had reviewed video footage showing American personnel calling out missile coordinates in real time during the interception.The escalation followed fresh Iranian missile launches on Wednesday, with Jordan’s military saying it intercepted five missiles fired towards the country. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility, saying the missiles targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and the headquarters of US Central Command in Jordan.Earlier, CENTCOM confirmed that US and Saudi forces had carried out overnight strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Trump said the joint operation was conducted in coordination with the Iraqi government and described the Iran-backed militias as a “cancer on the world”. He added that his administration was considering issuing further warnings to Iranian proxy groups.The renewed hostilities also rattled global markets, with oil prices rising sharply as investors reacted to the latest escalation in the Middle East.
