Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched ballistic missiles and drones at two U.S. air bases in Jordan on Monday [1].
The incident marks a direct escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington following a series of military exchanges in the Persian Gulf region.
An unnamed IRGC spokesperson said the combined attack on the two bases [1] was a response to a U.S. strike that occurred on Aug. 30 [2]. That American operation targeted Iranian missile launchers located on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz [3].
An IRGC official said the group hit the enemy's installations in Jordan with missiles and drones as a direct retaliation [4]. While some reports indicated that Iran launched missiles toward various targets across the region, the IRGC specifically identified the Jordanian bases as targets [1].
Other reports noted the use of drones and missiles capable of changing course during flight, though some sources did not confirm the combined nature of the attack on the Jordanian installations [5].
Following the strikes, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said neighboring Islamic countries should focus on the "real enemy" [1].
The U.S. military has not yet provided a detailed assessment of the damage or the effectiveness of the IRGC's strikes on the two facilities [1].
“The IRGC has launched a combined ballistic missile and drone attack on two U.S. bases in Jordan”
This cycle of retaliation demonstrates the volatility of the Strait of Hormuz and the willingness of the IRGC to strike U.S. assets outside of Iranian borders. By targeting bases in Jordan, Iran signals that it views U.S. installations across the Middle East as legitimate targets when its own strategic assets, such as those on Larak Island, are compromised.
