President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States would respond forcefully after Iran launched missiles overnight at American military bases in Jordan.
"We are going to hit them very hard. I can say that because there is very little they can do about it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump stated that Iran had crossed a line by launching the attack despite knowing the consequences, and that the United States would answer with overwhelming force.
"We're going to be hitting them very hard, because it's our turn to hit them. They know it's coming, they're asking us not to do it. They tried shooting last night...we had five rockets shot going 8,500 mph, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground, but they nevertheless took a shot, so it's our turn," He said.
Earlier in the day, Trump delivered similar remarks during a Fox News interview. "We are going to beat the.... out of them," He said, adding, "We'll be hitting them hard. They are going to get a beating."
Trump characterized the overnight barrage as a surprise assault, noting that American forces had only minutes to intercept the incoming missiles before they could reach their targets.
The missile fire marked the end of a several-day pause in Iranian attacks and was the first Iranian strike on a U.S. Base in the region since Trump paused American military operations against Iran the previous Friday.
Later that evening, U.S. Central Command announced that American forces, working with the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, carried out precision airstrikes in Iraq against Iran-backed terrorist groups directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to attack U.S. Troops and Saudi energy facilities.
"US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours," CENTCOM said, adding that "The unwarranted attacks against US forces were not successful."