Several US military aircraft were reportedly damaged after Iran struck a major American-operated airbase in Jordan, as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to intensify across the Middle East.
Legacy media outlet CBS reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the incident, that the overnight attack targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base near Azraq, roughly 100 kilometres northeast of the Jordanian capital, Amman. The installation is an important base for US air operations in the region.
According to the report, an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft sustained serious damage to one of its wings. Around eight F-15 fighter jets were also reportedly damaged, although their damage was described as ‘minor’ and the aircraft were subsequently returned to service. No American personnel were reported killed.
US forces are said to have launched more than 30 Patriot interceptor missiles in response to the Iranian barrage. Jordanian authorities said their forces intercepted 18 Iranian missiles, while another two landed in uninhabited areas without causing casualties.
US Central Command has not publicly confirmed that American aircraft were damaged in the attack.
CENTCOM has, however, rejected Iranian assertions that two US Navy destroyers were struck during the latest exchange. The US military has also claimed that American forces have destroyed ten Iranian crude-oil tankers since September 5, including five on Tuesday following an alleged Iranian ballistic-missile attack against a US warship.
The latest confrontation comes amid an increasingly dangerous dispute over access to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important energy corridors. Before the current conflict, approximately one-fifth of global oil supplies passed through the waterway.
Washington has imposed restrictions on maritime traffic travelling to and from Iranian ports, while Tehran has introduced its own controls over vessels using the strait. The disruption, combined with Houthi missile and drone attacks against Saudi energy infrastructure, has contributed to Brent crude climbing above $100 a barrel as markets assess the possibility of further interruptions to oil supplies.
US President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that American forces would strike “a lot more” Iranian vessels if Tehran continued attacking US interests. Trump also accused Iran of attempting to prolong the conflict in the hope of affecting the US midterm elections, claiming Tehran wanted to improve the electoral prospects of Democrats opposed to the war.
Iran, meanwhile, has accused Washington of fueling instability throughout the region.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that if the United States genuinely sought peace, it should bring an end to what he described as its “malign and destabilizing interventions in our region.”
Tehran has repeatedly warned neighbouring countries against allowing their territory or airspace to be used for American military operations against Iran. Iranian forces have targeted US assets across several regional states since February, including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi defended those attacks last week, arguing that Iran could not reasonably be expected to refrain from responding when territory and airspace in Arab states were being used to facilitate US strikes against Iranian targets.
Image credit: Tyler Hardie
