Iran fires 12 ballistic missiles at US base in Jordan
Shafaq News- Amman/ Washington
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed Thursday that it launched 12 ballistic missiles targeting the Al-Azraq air base in Jordan, striking positions where American F-35, F-16, and F-15 fighter aircraft were stationed.
The IRGC said the strikes were carried out in retaliation for US attacks on sites inside Iran, including a recreational facility, an industrial complex, and areas near military installations around Karaj, Nazarabad, and Pishva, as well as a local IRGC base. The Guard's statement, carried by Iranian state media, claimed the operation destroyed facilities and a large number of fighter aircraft at the base. Those claims could not be independently verified.
Al-Azraq, formally known as Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, is located in Jordan's Zarqa province, approximately 100 kilometers from the capital Amman. The base hosts the Jordanian Air Force's 1st, 2nd, and 6th Fighter Squadrons and has been used by the United States and NATO allies for operations, including strikes against the Islamic State group during the Syrian conflict.
The US Embassy in Amman issued an alert directing American citizens to seek shelter and monitor security notifications, citing reports of drones or missiles in Jordanian airspace, according to the embassy statement. Kuwait's General Authority for Civil Aviation separately announced a temporary closure of Kuwaiti airspace and the diversion of flights to alternative airports, attributing the measure to what it described as Iranian attacks.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had "completed self-defence strikes against Iran," targeting Iranian air defense systems, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz using precision munitions from US Air Force and Navy fighter jets. CENTCOM described the operation as a proportional response to attacks on US forces and international commercial shipping transiting regional waters.
The IRGC warned that operations would continue for as long as what it called enemy aggression persists. US President Donald Trump said Iran would "pay the price" for failing to reach a negotiated agreement, according to statements carried by multiple outlets.
The broader exchange was triggered by the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, which prompted CENTCOM's initial self-defense strikes on Iranian targets and set off the current cycle of retaliatory attacks across Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
