Iran Targets US Bases in Jordan and Bahrain

The Iranian army said Wednesday it targeted the Azraq airbase in Jordan and the Sheikh Isa airbase in Bahrain [1, 2].

These strikes signal a significant escalation in regional tensions, as Iran directly targets facilities used by the U.S. military across multiple Gulf nations. The move suggests a strategy of deterrence intended to prevent regional allies of the U.S. from hosting operations against Iranian territory.

Tehran said the operation was a response to previous U.S. attacks on Iran [3, 4]. The Iranian military used the announcement to warn Gulf states against allowing their lands to be used as launchpads for strikes against Iran [3, 5].

Reports on the total number of targets vary. Some sources said the army targeted two bases ^[1], while other reports indicate that bases in Kuwait were also included in the operation ^[3].

The Iranian army said the strikes were a direct consequence of foreign aggression. The military said that the security of the region depends on the cessation of U.S. military activities in the area [3, 5].

Officials in Jordan and Bahrain have not yet provided a detailed assessment of the damage. The U.S. Department of Defense has not issued a formal statement regarding the status of personnel or infrastructure at the Azraq or Sheikh Isa facilities [1, 2].