Jordan intercepts 18 of 20 Iranian missiles aimed at Al Azraq
Iran launched 20 ballistic missiles toward US forces stationed at Jordan's Al Azraq base. Jordan's military said air defences destroyed 18, while the other two fell in unpopulated areas, with no reported casualties. The barrage followed US strikes on five Iranian tankers; Tehran's claim that the base sustained damage has not been independently verified.
Geopolitics··Midday
Air defences stopped 18 of 20 missiles
Jordan's armed forces said its air-defence systems engaged 20 ballistic missiles fired from Iran toward Jordanian territory. The military reported that 18 were destroyed in the air and the remaining two fell in unpopulated areas. The Jordan News Agency, Petra, carried the same military account and said no casualties were reported. Iran's Revolutionary Guard identified US forces stationed at Al Azraq, near Jordan's Zarqa governorate, as the target. The verified core of the overnight attack is therefore the launch of 20 missiles from Iran and Jordan's reported interception of 18.[1], [2]
The barrage followed strikes on Iranian tankers
The missile barrage came after US Central Command said it had struck five crude-oil tankers operated by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Al Jazeera reported that four vessels were in the Gulf of Oman and one near Kharg Island. The US command presented those strikes as a response to two Iranian ballistic-missile attempts against an American warship over two days. Iran's foreign ministry called the tanker attacks a war crime and a breach of the United Nations Charter. The launch toward Al Azraq carried the exchange from the maritime theatre into Jordanian airspace.[1]
The claim of damage at the base remains unverified
The Revolutionary Guard claimed that maintenance facilities, deployment positions and aircraft shelters at Al Azraq sustained heavy damage. That claim has not been independently verified. Jordan's military account says two missiles fell in open areas and reports no casualties; Petra's corroborating report is limited to that same outcome. US Central Command also said no American personnel were harmed. The accounts agree that the barrage occurred and that 18 missiles were intercepted, while no verified assessment establishes material damage inside the base.[1], [2]
