Iran claims US aircraft destroyed in Jordan strikes

Iran has claimed that ballistic missiles and drones destroyed several US military aircraft stationed in Jordan, widening a fast-escalating exchange of attacks across the Middle East.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the operation targeted US fighter jets and aerial refuelling aircraft at military facilities in Jordan. It claimed several aircraft were destroyed and others seriously damaged, but offered no independently verifiable evidence.

Neither the US military nor Jordan confirmed that any aircraft had been hit. Jordan’s armed forces said its air-defence systems intercepted and destroyed three Iranian missiles that entered the kingdom’s airspace on Friday morning. No casualties or material damage were reported.

The Iranian attack followed another night of US strikes across the Islamic republic. Tehran said the bombardment killed at least eight people and wounded about 20. Bridges, transport facilities and sites in southern and coastal provinces were among the locations reported hit.

US Central Command said its forces had completed a seventh consecutive night of operations against Iran. Washington maintains that its campaign is directed at military infrastructure, logistics networks, radar systems, missile sites and facilities linked to attacks on commercial shipping.

Tehran disputes that account, accusing the US of striking civilian infrastructure and using bases across the region to conduct attacks. The Revolutionary Guard said the Jordan operation was retaliation for raids launched from facilities in the kingdom against targets in southern Iran.

Jordan hosts US military personnel and has become a repeated target during the renewed fighting. Amman has stressed that it will defend its territory and airspace, while rejecting attempts to turn the kingdom into a battlefield for wider regional conflicts.

Jordanian forces have intercepted Iranian missiles on several consecutive days. Eight missiles were shot down on Thursday, while three ballistic missiles were intercepted on Wednesday. Four were destroyed on Monday. Three other missiles landed at separate locations on Sunday, causing minor property damage but no casualties.

The volume and frequency of the attacks have placed Jordan’s air-defence network under sustained pressure. Falling fragments from intercepted weapons also pose risks to populated areas even when incoming missiles fail to reach their intended targets.

Iran has expanded its retaliation beyond Jordan, launching missiles and drones towards facilities associated with US forces in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Gulf governments have reported repeated interceptions, infrastructure disruption and limited casualties as the fighting spreads across national borders.

The attacks mark the sharpest collapse of the ceasefire reached last month. That agreement had temporarily reduced direct hostilities after months of conflict, but it unravelled following renewed confrontations around the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on commercial vessels.

Washington reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports after accusing Tehran of threatening international shipping. US forces have since attacked coastal surveillance systems, missile and drone installations, air-defence positions and logistics facilities around Bandar Abbas, Jask, Chabahar and other strategic locations.

Iran says it controls access through the Strait of Hormuz and has threatened stronger action if attacks on its territory continue. The waterway carries a substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, making any prolonged disruption a threat to energy markets and shipping schedules.

Commercial traffic through the strait has fallen sharply as shipping companies avoid the conflict zone or wait for clearer security guarantees. Insurance costs have risen, while oil prices have climbed amid concern that military action could restrict exports from Gulf producers.

The confrontation has also extended towards Syria. Iran said it targeted a US command centre near al-Tanf, although a Syrian military source said the projectile landed near the area without hitting the base or causing damage. US forces had withdrawn from al-Tanf earlier this year.

Tehran has warned that attacks will continue until Washington halts its campaign against Iranian coastal and military facilities. Revolutionary Guard aerospace commander Majid Mousavi said strikes would remain “effective and targeted”, signalling that bases hosting US assets could face further missile and drone launches.