Iran launched ballistic missiles toward U.S. military bases in Jordan after American forces struck Iranian military targets on Larak Island. The escalation marks the first major exchange of attacks between Washington and Tehran in more than a month.
The Iranian missiles were fired in retaliation for a U.S. strike on two rocket launchers on Larak Island. U.S. officials said Iranian forces had been preparing to use the launchers to deploy sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
Jordan’s armed forces said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed eight missiles that entered the country’s airspace. The missiles were neutralized before they posed a threat to civilians or property, according to the Jordanian military.
A U.S. official also said the missiles fired into Jordan were intercepted and that no impacts had been reported. Iranian media said the King Hussein and Al Azraq bases were specifically targeted.
Iran later claimed that it had also targeted a base used by the U.S. military in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE said Monday morning that it intercepted a drone approaching from Iran over its territorial waters.
The latest confrontation began Sunday when U.S. Central Command struck the Iranian launchers. CENTCOM described the operation as a “limited, precise action” against Iranian forces that posed an imminent threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran created the threat and the US military eliminated it to protect civilian mariners, commercial shipping, and the free flow of global commerce,” CENTCOM said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was not seeking war but would respond to what he called aggression. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps separately called the U.S. strike a “strategic and deadly mistake” and vowed retaliation.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a central point of confrontation between the two countries. The Trump administration said CENTCOM completed efforts to clear sea mines from international shipping routes in the waterway last week. President Donald Trump had warned that any vessels placing new mines would be “immediately and systematically destroyed.”
“US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” a U.S. official said.
Sunday’s U.S. attack was the first strike on Iran since July 29. Washington had recently shifted toward increasing economic pressure on Tehran, including threats of additional sanctions against countries and financial institutions that continue doing business with Iran.