Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles at US Bases in Jordan; US Officials Say Nearly All Intercepted
Explosions echoed near Jordan's southern port city of Aqaba on Monday after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at US forces in the kingdom, according to Jordanian media and American officials.
The Jordanian Armed Forces said air defenses intercepted eight missiles that entered the country's airspace. A US source familiar with the situation confirmed to Fox News that the attack was directed at US forces in Jordan, adding that nearly all of the incoming missiles were intercepted by US air defenses. There was no immediate confirmation of casualties or damage.
Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst reported Monday that US forces in Jordan came under missile attack, saying: "The Iranians are launching a variety of different missiles at US bases in response to US strikes on Larak Island."
The Iranian salvo follows US airstrikes on Larak Island, off the Iranian coast near the Strait of Hormuz. The United States struck Iranian missile launchers on Sunday after personnel from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were observed preparing to fire toward the strategic waterway, according to US intelligence. The Iranians were planning to launch rockets with sea mines attached in order to lay fresh mines in the Strait of Hormuz, officials said.
Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported that Tehran also launched missiles at US ships in the Strait of Hormuz early Monday. The IRGC claimed responsibility for the strikes on two US bases in Jordan, saying it had targeted "technical and maintenance infrastructure and the locations where enemy fighter jets are stationed" with ballistic missiles in response to "the US-Israeli enemy's attack on Larak Island."
Iranian state media quoted the IRGC as asserting that the attack "destroyed" the bases and "caused heavy damage" — a claim US officials disputed. "Every strike will be met with an even more forceful response," the statement concluded.
The exchange marks a sharp escalation in the region, testing Jordan's role as a stabilizing force and raising fears that the conflict could spill further into vital shipping lanes. Aqaba, Jordan's only coastal city, is a strategic Red Sea port, while the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments. With Washington and Tehran exchanging direct strikes, the risk of a broader confrontation is growing.