Jordan downs eight missiles as Iran targets US bases

Jordanian air defences intercepted and destroyed eight missiles early Monday as Iran launched retaliatory attacks against US military facilities in Jordan following an American strike on Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz.

The Jordan Armed Forces said the missiles had penetrated the kingdom’s airspace and were destroyed before they could threaten civilians or property. Its statement did not identify the missiles’ origin, but it came shortly after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched ballistic missiles at two US-linked bases in Jordan.

The Revolutionary Guard said its Aerospace Force targeted King Hussein Air Base and Al Azraq Air Base in a combined missile and drone operation. It said the attack was retaliation for US strikes on Larak Island, a small Iranian island overlooking the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and claimed technical infrastructure, maintenance facilities and aircraft deployment areas had been hit.

There was no immediate independently verified evidence of the damage claimed by Tehran. Early accounts also indicated no confirmed casualties at the Jordanian bases. Jordan’s military said its interception operations were conducted under established rules of engagement and based on operational assessments aimed at protecting national airspace and public safety.

The exchange marked the first known direct US-Iran military confrontation since late July, ending a roughly month-long pause in American strikes on Iranian territory. US forces attacked two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday after Revolutionary Guard personnel were observed preparing what Washington said were rockets designed to carry sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command described the operation as “limited, precise action” against Revolutionary Guard mine-laying forces that it said posed an imminent threat to civilian mariners, commercial shipping and the free flow of global commerce. Captain Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesperson, said the US military had completed clearing sea mines from international shipping routes through the strait last week.

Hawkins said American forces were closely monitoring the area and remained prepared to protect commercial traffic through the waterway. The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important energy transit routes and has been a central arena in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran.

Iran rejected the US description of the strike as defensive. The Revolutionary Guard said the attack on Larak Island caused deaths and injuries among fighters and civilians, although it did not provide a confirmed toll. It warned that the strike would be answered, before announcing its attack on the two bases in Jordan.

Tehran said its operation used ballistic missiles and drones and described the action as punishment for the American strike. Claims that the US facilities sustained heavy damage could not immediately be corroborated, and neither Washington nor Amman announced significant damage from the attack during the first official accounts.

Jordan has repeatedly said it will not allow its airspace to be used as a battleground and has intercepted missiles and drones during earlier phases of the wider regional conflict when projectiles crossed its territory. The kingdom hosts US military personnel and maintains close defence ties with Washington, while also stressing that its forces act to protect Jordanian sovereignty rather than take sides in exchanges between other states.

Monday’s interception followed warnings from Washington that it would act against renewed Iranian attempts to place mines in the strait. US officials say mine-clearing operations had reopened international shipping routes after disruptions to maritime traffic, while Tehran has continued to dispute Washington’s account of control over the waterway.

Maritime traffic through the strait has remained sharply reduced, underscoring the economic stakes surrounding any renewed mine-laying. The channel carries crude oil, refined fuels and liquefied natural gas from Gulf producers to international markets, making disruptions capable of quickly affecting shipping costs, insurance premiums and energy prices far beyond the region.