Iran Strikes US Bases in Jordan After American Attack on Larak Island
AMMAN, JORDAN — WEB DESK: Iran said it launched ballistic missiles and drones at two military bases hosting US forces in Jordan in retaliation for an American strike on Iran’s Larak Island, marking the latest direct exchange between Washington and Tehran after weeks of reduced military confrontation.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the retaliatory operation targeted the King Hussein and Al-Azraq bases in Jordan. Iranian media described the operation as “Punishment of the Aggressor” and said missiles and drones were used against the facilities.
The IRGC claimed that technical and maintenance infrastructure as well as areas used for the deployment of military aircraft were damaged.
Those damage claims have not been independently verified.
Jordan, meanwhile, said its air-defence systems intercepted eight missiles that entered the kingdom’s airspace and reported no casualties from the attacks.
Initial US-linked reporting similarly indicated that nearly all incoming missiles had been intercepted and that there had been no significant impact at that stage.
Iran Says Attack Was Retaliation
Tehran described the operation as retaliation for US strikes against Larak Island, an Iranian island strategically located near the Strait of Hormuz.
US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on the island on Sunday in the first known American military strikes against Iran since late July.
Washington said the action was intended to stop what it described as an imminent threat to international shipping.
According to a US official, Revolutionary Guard forces had been observed preparing launchers that could fire rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran rejected that justification and characterised the American operation as aggression.
The competing descriptions are important: the alleged preparations to deploy mine-carrying rockets are the US military’s account, while Iran’s assertions about damage inflicted on US facilities in Jordan are Iranian claims.
Neither should be presented as independently established fact without supporting evidence.
CENTCOM Defends Larak Strike
US Central Command subsequently publicly defended the operation.
CENTCOM said American forces took what it called limited and precise action to prevent the IRGC from placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military rejected Iran’s characterisation of the operation as an act of aggression.
The US position is that the action was intended to protect international navigation through one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
Iran takes the opposite position, arguing that Washington’s military operations violate its sovereignty and that Tehran retains authority over security around the strait.
No Casualties Reported at Jordan Bases
The absence of reported casualties is a significant element of the latest confrontation.
Jordan’s military said its air defences intercepted eight missiles that entered Jordanian airspace early Monday. No injuries were reported at either of the targeted bases in the initial accounts.
That does not necessarily establish that every Iranian projectile was destroyed or that no infrastructure sustained damage.
It does, however, contradict any unverified suggestion that the attack caused large numbers of US or Jordanian casualties.
The IRGC claimed significant material damage, but publicly available evidence had not independently confirmed that assertion at publication time.
First Major US-Iran Exchange Since July
The strikes represent a renewed escalation after a relative lull in direct US-Iran military exchanges.
Reuters described the Larak operation as the first known US strike against Iran since late July. Iran’s subsequent attack on US forces in Jordan therefore raises concerns that the confrontation could again enter a more intensive phase.
The broader war has now continued for about six months, with Iran and the United States exchanging attacks while Washington simultaneously increases economic pressure on Tehran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated that Washington expects to continue imposing secondary sanctions as part of its effort to economically isolate Iran.
Strait of Hormuz Remains Central to Confrontation
The renewed military activity is especially significant because the initial US strike occurred on Larak Island, close to the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway is a critical route for global energy supplies, historically carrying roughly one-fifth of global oil flows.
Iran has maintained that it retains control over the strait, while Washington says US military operations are aimed at protecting commercial navigation and restoring shipping.
The situation should not be simplified into claims that Hormuz is either completely closed or operating normally. Commercial traffic continues, but at significantly disrupted levels amid military threats and uncertainty.
Oil Prices Rise on Renewed Fighting
Energy markets reacted quickly to the renewed confrontation.
Brent crude rose more than 2% on Monday, moving above $90 per barrel as traders priced in a higher risk of disruption to Gulf energy exports.
The price increase reflects concerns about the broader security environment around Hormuz rather than evidence that the Iranian attack on the Jordan bases itself disrupted oil production.
Further attacks near the strait could increase insurance costs, deter commercial shipping and threaten Gulf oil exports, potentially putting additional upward pressure on global energy prices.
Iran Also Claims US Drone Downed
The military confrontation broadened further on Monday when Iran separately claimed that its air defences had shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
That announcement remains an Iranian military claim and requires independent or US confirmation before the destruction of the aircraft can be reported as established fact.
The drone incident, the Larak strikes and the attack on US facilities in Jordan collectively demonstrate how rapidly the confrontation has escalated after the relative lull.
Risk of Wider Regional Escalation
Jordan’s involvement is particularly sensitive because it hosts US forces while also seeking to protect its territory from spillover from regional conflicts.
Iran has targeted US military infrastructure elsewhere in the region during previous rounds of fighting. Reuters reported similar Iranian attacks on US-linked military infrastructure in Gulf states in July following American strikes on Iran.
The latest episode again places countries hosting American forces in a difficult position as Washington and Tehran exchange military action across national borders.
For now, the most firmly established sequence is that US forces struck two launchers on Larak Island; Iran subsequently launched missiles and drones toward two bases hosting US forces in Jordan; Jordan says eight missiles were intercepted; and no casualties have been reported.
Claims of significant damage to American military infrastructure remain unverified.
The next major indicator will be whether Washington responds militarily to the Iranian attack or whether both sides attempt to prevent the latest exchange from developing into another sustained round of direct strikes.
