Iran Strike Damages US F-15 Jets, A-10 at Jordan Air Base: Report
AMMAN, JORDAN — WEB DESK: Multiple US military aircraft were damaged in an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, including around eight F-15 fighter jets and an A-10 Thunderbolt, according to CBS News reporting cited by Reuters.
The strikes occurred overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday local time as the latest round of direct military exchanges between Iran and the United States spread across the region.
CBS reporter Jennifer Jacobs reported that one A-10 Thunderbolt II, commonly known as the Warthog, was struck and left missing a wing, while approximately eight F-15 fighter jets sustained lighter damage.
The F-15s were subsequently returned to service, according to the report.
A-10 Suffers Severe Wing Damage
The most serious reported aircraft damage involved the A-10.
Sources familiar with the incident said the aircraft suffered severe damage to a wing during the Iranian attack.
Air & Space Forces Magazine independently reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that an A-10 Thunderbolt II suffered severe wing damage while around eight F-15E Strike Eagles sustained comparatively minor damage.
The F-15Es were nevertheless considered serviceable after the attack.
A US Central Command spokesman did not respond to the publication’s request for comment on the aircraft damage.
Around Eight F-15s Returned to Service
The reported damage to the F-15s appears to have been limited.
Although approximately eight aircraft were affected, sources said they were returned to service following the attack.
This distinction is important because the aircraft were damaged, not confirmed destroyed.
Claims on social media describing eight US F-15s as destroyed therefore go beyond the currently verified reporting.
The A-10, by comparison, suffered substantially more serious damage.
Iran Targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base
The attack targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a strategically important Jordanian military installation used extensively by American forces.
The base has become a major hub for US air operations in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Recent reporting indicates that dozens of US combat aircraft have operated from the facility, giving Washington significant airpower capacity in the region.
Its role in US operations has also made the base a repeated target of Iranian attacks.
Strike Followed US Attacks on Iranian Tankers
The latest escalation followed US strikes against five Iranian oil tankers on September 8.
US Central Command said the vessels were connected to a shadow network used to finance Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and regional allies.
Iran subsequently retaliated against American assets, including the US-used air base in Jordan.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said its attack targeted fighter aircraft stationed at Muwaffaq Salti.
The exchange represents another escalation in the continuing US-Iran conflict, which has increasingly involved military assets across the wider Middle East.
More Than 30 Patriot Missiles Reportedly Fired
US forces in Jordan reportedly launched more than 30 Patriot interceptor missiles in an effort to defend against the Iranian attack, according to reporting citing sources familiar with the operation.
Jordanian and US air defences intercepted the majority of incoming missiles, according to officials.
However, some Iranian weapons appear to have penetrated the defensive network sufficiently to damage aircraft and other materiel at the base.
No American fatalities were reported in connection with this latest attack.
Jordan Caught in US-Iran Conflict
Jordan has increasingly found itself exposed to the consequences of the US-Iran confrontation because of its close military relationship with Washington.
A 2021 defence cooperation agreement gives US forces and contractors access to 12 military installations in Jordan, while Muwaffaq Salti has emerged as one of the most strategically important sites.
The kingdom has repeatedly intercepted Iranian missiles and drones crossing or targeting its territory.
Jordanian authorities maintain that defending the country’s airspace is a matter of national sovereignty.
Same Base Previously Hit by Iran
Muwaffaq Salti Air Base has already suffered deadly attacks during the current conflict.
An Iranian missile strike on the facility in July killed three US soldiers, after one service member initially listed as missing was later confirmed among the dead.
Other attacks on Jordanian bases have wounded American personnel.
The repeated strikes demonstrate that Iran has retained an ability to threaten US military facilities despite extensive American and Jordanian air-defence systems.
US Air Defence Stocks Under Pressure
The latest attack also renews attention on American air-defence ammunition.
Reports that more than 30 Patriot interceptors were fired during a single attack come amid concerns over the rate at which the United States is consuming expensive precision-guided air-defence missiles during the conflict.
The strategic issue is not simply whether individual Iranian missiles are intercepted, but how sustainable such intensive defensive operations become during a prolonged conflict.
Iran, meanwhile, continues attempting to overwhelm or penetrate US and allied air defences through repeated missile and drone attacks.
Iranian Claims Require Independent Verification
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has made broader claims about damage inflicted on American military assets during the conflict.
Those claims should be treated separately from independently corroborated reporting.
In this case, however, the central claim that US aircraft at Muwaffaq Salti suffered damage has now been reported by CBS and Reuters and separately confirmed to Air & Space Forces Magazine by people familiar with the incident.
The strongest currently supported figures are:
Around eight F-15E fighter jets sustained light damage and returned to service, while one A-10 Thunderbolt II suffered severe wing damage.
There is currently no credible confirmation that eight F-15s were destroyed.
Latest Strike Shows Vulnerability of Regional US Bases
The incident is militarily significant because it demonstrates that even heavily defended American facilities can suffer damage during sustained missile attacks.
The United States maintains a substantial military presence across the Middle East, while Jordan has become particularly important to American operations because of its location between Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Muwaffaq Salti’s role as a major US airpower hub makes any damage to aircraft there strategically noteworthy.
At the same time, the limited damage to the F-15 fleet — and their reported return to service — suggests the strike did not eliminate the aircraft from US combat operations.
The A-10 Thunderbolt suffered the most significant confirmed damage, while the full assessment of the base and other equipment has not yet been publicly released.
