WASHINGTON — A pause in fighting between the U.S. and Iran came to a screeching halt after Tehran launched what the Trump administration is calling a "surprise attack" that American forces based in the Middle East had only minutes to shoot down.

The July 28 assault threatened to reinvigorate the conflict that President Donald Trump had been aiming to wind down after months of negotiations. Trump vowed to retaliate, warning on Fox News that the U.S. would "beat the f'ing s--- out of them."

U.S. Central Command said on Tuesday evening that it and Saudi Arabia's armed forces jointly targeted Iranian-aligned militants responsible for drone attacks on American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

Two American soldiers were killed in an attack in Jordan, including Isabella Gonzalez, raising the U.S. military death toll in the Iran war to 17.Pvt. Gonzales, killed in action in an Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan, in this image taken at a location given as Germany, released on July 20, 2026.(10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command/Handout, via Reuters)
Two American soldiers were killed in an attack in Jordan, including Isabella Gonzalez, raising the U.S. military death toll in the Iran war to 17.Pvt. Gonzales, killed in action in an Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan, in this image taken at a location given as Germany, released on July 20, 2026.(10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command/Handout, via Reuters)
1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, was killed in action July 18 during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan.(Brooke Parcus, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command)
1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, was killed in action July 18 during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan.(Brooke Parcus, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command)
Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, was killed in action during a controlled detonation of a downed One-Way Unmanned Aerial System July 19, 2026, at Erbil Air Base, Iraq.(Brooke Parcus, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense)
Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, was killed in action during a controlled detonation of a downed One-Way Unmanned Aerial System July 19, 2026, at Erbil Air Base, Iraq.(Brooke Parcus, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense)
Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards is presumed dead after a U.S. Navy helicopter made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea on July 1. He was identified as the missing crew member following a dayslong search.(Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic)
Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards is presumed dead after a U.S. Navy helicopter made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea on July 1. He was identified as the missing crew member following a dayslong search.(Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic)
Major John “Alex” Klinner, 33, died on March 12, 2026, along with five other service members, after the U.S. aircraft they were on crashed in Iraq.(Courtesy Photo, DVIDS)
Major John “Alex” Klinner, 33, died on March 12, 2026, along with five other service members, after the U.S. aircraft they were on crashed in Iraq.(Courtesy Photo, DVIDS)
An undated photo of Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Wash., assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Savino was one of six Airmen who died March 12, 2026, when a KC-135 aircraft crashed in western Iraq while supporting Operation Epic Fury.(Secretary of the Air Force)
An undated photo of Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Wash., assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Savino was one of six Airmen who died March 12, 2026, when a KC-135 aircraft crashed in western Iraq while supporting Operation Epic Fury.(Secretary of the Air Force)
An undated photo of Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Ky., assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Pruitt was one of six Airmen who died March 12, 2026, when a KC-135 aircraft crashed in western Iraq while supporting Operation Epic Fury.(Secretary of the Air Force)
An undated photo of Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Ky., assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Pruitt was one of six Airmen who died March 12, 2026, when a KC-135 aircraft crashed in western Iraq while supporting Operation Epic Fury.(Secretary of the Air Force)
U.S. Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, assigned to the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, Fort Carson, Colo, died March 8, 2026, from wounds sustained during an enemy attack on March 1, 2026, at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.(Dottie Henderson, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command)
U.S. Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, assigned to the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, Fort Carson, Colo, died March 8, 2026, from wounds sustained during an enemy attack on March 1, 2026, at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.(Dottie Henderson, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command)
U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa, assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, died March 1, 2026, in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba during an unmanned aircraft system attack.(Gloria Holt, U.S. Army Reserve Command)
U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa, assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, died March 1, 2026, in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba during an unmanned aircraft system attack.(Gloria Holt, U.S. Army Reserve Command)
U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, died March 1, 2026, in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba during an unmanned aircraft system attack.(Brent Newton, U.S. Army Reserve Command)
U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, died March 1, 2026, in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba during an unmanned aircraft system attack.(Brent Newton, U.S. Army Reserve Command)
U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa, assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, died March 1, 2026, in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba during an unmanned aircraft system attack.(Brent Newton, U.S. Army Reserve Command)
U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa, assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, died March 1, 2026, in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba during an unmanned aircraft system attack.(Brent Newton, U.S. Army Reserve Command)
U.S. Army Reserve Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida, assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, died March 1, 2026, in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba during an unmanned aircraft system attack.(Brent Newton, U.S. Army Reserve Command)
U.S. Army Reserve Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida, assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, died March 1, 2026, in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba during an unmanned aircraft system attack.(Brent Newton, U.S. Army Reserve Command)
Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens died in the attack on March 1, 2026, in Kuwait, the Pentagon said.Other US service members killed in the Iran War are: Capt. Seth Koval, 38, Capt. Curtis Angst, 30, Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28 andChief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54.(Brent Newton)
Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens died in the attack on March 1, 2026, in Kuwait, the Pentagon said.Other US service members killed in the Iran War are: Capt. Seth Koval, 38, Capt. Curtis Angst, 30, Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28 andChief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54.(Brent Newton)

Two American soldiers were killed in an attack in Jordan, including Isabella Gonzalez, raising the U.S. military death toll in the Iran war to 17.

Pvt. Gonzales, killed in action in an Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan, in this image taken at a location given as Germany, released on July 20, 2026.

A weekslong ceasefire between the two countries fell apart in early July when the U.S. restarted its bombing campaign in response to Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Four Americans died in the fighting. A total of 20 U.S. troop have died in the conflict to date.

Trump warned last week that further attacks on commercial vessels would be met with attacks on bridges and power plants — repeating a threat he has made and subsequently called off. The threat of force against civilian infrastructure, which experts warned could constitute a war crime, has been a go-to negotiating tactic for Trump. The sides have typically returned to talks after his threats.

Saudi Arabia joined the United States in attacking fighters aligned with Iran, the Gulf state's Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday, July 29. Saudi Arabia struck Iran-linked militias based in Iraq, the kingdom said.

The strikes mark the Saudis' first foray into the war, in response to attacks from Iranian militants on the kingdom's oil and gas facilities. The Saudis coordinated their the strikes with U.S. Central Command, the military arm overseeing operations in the Middle East, Saudi defense ministry officials said.

Central Command confirmed the coordinated attacks with Saudi fighter jets, saying they targeted "Iran-aligned terrorists" in the eastern part of Iraq. According to military officials, the attacks came in response to Iran-directed attacks on U.S. assets in the region.

"The unwarranted attacks against U.S. forces were not successful," Central Command said in a statement.

CENTCOM said in a July 28 statement that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its affiliated proxies "must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. military response."

Trump told a Fox News correspondent that he'd "beat the f'ing s--- out of them" and would be "hitting them hard, they're going to get a beating," the network reported Wednesday morning.

Francesca Chambers is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY who covers foreign policy. Follow her on X @fran_chambers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iran's 'surprise attack' ends U.S ceasefire. What it means for the war