Iran fires missiles at Jordan base after US destroys five oil tankers

Al Azraq, Jordan. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it fired ballistic missiles at a base near Al Azraq used by US forces and attacked 10 ships on Wednesday, following US strikes that destroyed five Iranian oil tankers.

The exchanges marked a sharp escalation in the six-month-old war, ending a month of relative calm and affecting military, shipping and energy assets across the region.

US tanker strikes

The United States said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday in response to what it described as two Iranian ballistic missile attacks on a US Navy warship over the previous two days.

US Central Command posted video of the strikes and said no Americans were harmed. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking during a visit to Colombia, said Iran would lose tankers for every attempt to strike US naval ships.

Missile attack in Jordan

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its missile attack targeted a base used by US forces near Al Azraq.

Iran said the missiles caused heavy damage. Jordan said its air defences intercepted 18 of 20 Iranian missiles, while two landed in unpopulated areas. Jordan reported no casualties.

A US official said the Iranian strikes in Jordan were ineffective and that all American troops were accounted for.

Shipping and energy concerns

The IRGC said it also attacked 10 ships, including two US vessels and eight oil tankers, which it said were attempting to cross a “prohibited and unsafe” area of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian attacks have largely disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major energy transit route. Iran has targeted US assets and regional allies during the war, including several attacks in Jordan, one of which killed at least two US military personnel in July.

Iran also threatened oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports, according to a state media statement. A maritime security source said a liquefied natural gas tanker was damaged at the Emirati port of Khor Fakkan, although responsibility was unclear.

Brent crude prices extended gains in early trading on Wednesday, nearing $100 a barrel amid concerns over disrupted tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Recent attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saudi Arabia added to supply concerns.