US President Donald Trump has vowed a strong military response after Iran allegedly launched multiple ballistic missiles toward American forces in the Middle East, declaring that the US would "beat the fing st out of them". Speaking to Fox News in a phone interview on Wednesday, Trump made the remarks after the US military said it had intercepted several Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at a US base in Jordan overnight.
"We're going to beat the fing st out of them. We'll be hitting them hard. They're going to get a beating," Trump said. Although the interview was not aired in full, a Fox News correspondent quoted the President's remarks on television.
US intercepts Iranian missiles
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iranian territory late Tuesday in what it described as an "attempted surprise attack" on US forces stationed in the Middle East. The military said all of the missiles were intercepted before reaching their targets.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said the missiles had been fired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, though it did not specify the intended target. Axios, citing US officials, reported that the missiles were aimed at an American military base in Jordan. The incident marked another escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran, despite reports that indirect negotiations between the two countries are continuing through mediators.
The missile launch reportedly gave US troops only a few minutes to respond.
Trump said he had watched footage of the interception, describing how American personnel tracked the incoming missiles in real time, relayed coordinates and successfully prevented every projectile from hitting the base. According to Fox News, he said the defensive operation ensured that none of the Iranian missiles reached their target.
US, Saudi strikes on Iran-backed militias
Trump also discussed overnight strikes carried out by US and Saudi forces against Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militias.
According to the Fox News correspondent, Trump said the operation had been coordinated with the Iraqi government. He described the militias as "a cancer on the world" and suggested that further military action against Iranian proxy groups remained under consideration.
Saudi Arabia has confirmed participating alongside US forces in strikes targeting Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Other Gulf nations also reportedly took part in a more limited role by targeting Iranian positions near the coastal city of Bandar Abbas.
Diplomacy continues amid tensions
Despite the latest escalation, diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran has continued.
According to Fox News, Trump said, "We're going to let them keep talking," referring to ongoing negotiations that began after 13 consecutive days of US bombing during Operation Epic Fury.
The talks are reportedly focused on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's broader nuclear programme, although the latest missile attack has raised fresh questions about the future of those discussions.
