Iran launches missile attacks on US bases in Jordan after US strikes on Iran
Quick Look
- Iran launched ballistic missile attacks on US military bases in Jordan and reported strikes in Bahrain following US strikes on Iranian targets in retaliation for alleged IRGC attacks on commercial shipping.
- The Iranian Red Crescent said a US missile strike killed four people, including a child, at a wedding in Sirik, Iran, while Jordan intercepted 13 missiles with no casualties.
- US Central Command said strikes began Tuesday and were completed by early Wednesday, targeting IRGC sites after resumed hostilities.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The latest exchange follows resumed US strikes on Iran after alleged IRGC attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier this week, US forces struck two rocket launchers on Larak Island, prompting Iranian retaliation against air bases in Jordan and a drone strike on the UAE.
Iran has launched attacks at US military bases in Iraq and Jordan, according to local state media and the Jordanian Armed Forces, after American forces resumed strikes against Iran on Tuesday.
The Iranian Red Crescent said a US missile attack had killed four people, including a child, when shrapnel hit a home where a wedding celebration was taking place in Sirik in southern Iran.
More than 50 people were injured, it added.
US Central Command (Centcom) said US strikes on Iran followed "recent attempted attacks" by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC said the US would "regret" the strikes. By early Wednesday, it had launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at a US Marine base in Jordan's Aqaba in retaliation for the Sirik attack, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The Jordanian Armed Forces said it had intercepted 13 ballistic missiles, 10 of which were destroyed, while three fell in remote areas. There were no deaths or injuries as a result of the attack from Iran.
The network also said that the country's national security centre had warned residents of the Aqaba and Mafraq governorates of falling debris, adding that the warning had since ended.
Separately, the Kuwait army said its air defences were responding to Iranian missile attacks early Wednesday.
Several explosions were also reported in Bahrain following attacks by Iran, according to Iranian state media.
Donald Trump, when the US strikes were announced on Tuesday afternoon, warned that Iran would be hit again at "a much harder and higher level" if it retaliated.
The attack follows the first known US strikes on Iran since late July earlier this week, when forces attacked two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait. Tehran retaliated by firing missiles at air bases in Jordan and a drone at the UAE.
Centcom said US forces had begun striking IRGC targets at 12:00 ET (16:00 GMT), and had completed the strikes by early Wednesday.
Iranian state media reported projectiles had hit the areas of Chabahar and Konarak and an airport in Jiroft, and that explosions were heard in Qeshm island and Bandar Abbas.
US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, speaking on behalf of Centcom, told the BBC it was aware of reports from Iranian state media of the attack in Sirik.
He added: "The US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC."
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The US will conduct further military strikes against Iran if retaliation continues
Likely · Within days
Iran will continue to use missile attacks as a retaliatory measure against US interests in the region
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What specific damage did Iranian missiles cause to US bases in Jordan and Bahrain?
- Will the US respond to Iran's latest missile barrage with further strikes?
- Are diplomatic channels open to de-escalate the conflict?
- What evidence supports the US claim that IRGC attempted attacks on commercial shipping occurred?
