Iran confirmed on Monday that it launched strikes against American military installations in Jordan, escalating a conflict that has now stretched past the six-month mark. The move came in direct response to fresh US military action on Iranian soil, the first such strikes in nearly a month.
According to Tehran’s Revolutionary Guards, ballistic missiles were fired at two US-linked air bases inside Jordan, resulting in what officials described as substantial damage. Jordanian military authorities confirmed intercepting eight incoming missiles but did not identify who launched them.
Iran Attacks US Bases in Jordan: Wider Regional Fallout
The Revolutionary Guards also claimed a separate drone strike on the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates early Monday, a claim broadcast by Iranian state television. The UAE’s Ministry of Defence pushed back firmly, rejecting reports that missiles had struck the base and labeling such claims inaccurate.
UAE officials stated their armed forces remain on heightened alert to counter any emerging threats while protecting the country’s sovereignty and stability. Separately, the UAE confirmed its air force intercepted a drone over its territorial waters that had originated from Iranian territory, though further specifics, including whether the drone was destroyed, were not disclosed.
Iranian military officials said the Jordan strike targeted sites housing US troops and helicopters. They framed the action as retaliation for the deaths of Revolutionary Guards personnel and Iranian civilians on Larak Island.
Background: US Strikes That Triggered the Response
The latest flare-up followed a US announcement on Sunday confirming it had struck Iranian rocket-launching positions on a small island within the Strait of Hormuz. American officials said the operation was designed to stop Iran from deploying further sea mines in the waterway, coming just days after Washington declared the strait had been cleared of explosives.
US Central Command described the action as a limited but precise strike against Revolutionary Guard units it said posed an immediate threat in the strait. Tehran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the US assault caused casualties and said their retaliatory strike on Jordan was a direct response to what they called “US-Zionist aerial aggression.”
This exchange unfolded just as the broader US-Iran war passed the six-month milestone, at a moment when direct hostilities had appeared to be cooling. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump’s administration had leaned more heavily on economic pressure rather than military engagement against Tehran.
Strait of Hormuz Remains a Flashpoint
Iran has maintained an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor through which roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments passed before hostilities began on February 28. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, said American forces had finished clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping lanes the previous week and remained on standby to safeguard commercial traffic through the waterway.
Kharg Island Oil Hub Hit Hard
President Trump said Sunday that Iran’s key oil export hub, Kharg Island, was being “blown to smithereens,” following American strikes on rocket launchers located on a separate island, the first such US action against Iran since late July. Kharg Island handled roughly 90% of Iran’s oil exports before the war began, making any disruption there a major blow to the country’s economy.
Trump shared the claim on social media without elaborating further.
Diplomatic Efforts Continue to Stall
Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar have spent months attempting to broker an end to the conflict. Although a ceasefire took hold in April and a memorandum of understanding toward a lasting peace deal was signed in June, a final agreement has yet to materialize. Washington has since shifted toward what it calls “economic warfare” against Tehran, including a naval blockade aimed at restricting Iran’s fuel supplies amid a domestic production shortfall.
The April ceasefire curbed the most intense combat, but continued skirmishes near the Strait of Hormuz have kept a comprehensive peace deal out of reach. Prior to Sunday’s action, the last direct US strike on Iran occurred on July 29, following what the Pentagon described as an attempted surprise attack on American forces. Earlier that month, Centcom carried out strikes against Iran for 13 straight nights.
Throughout the conflict, Iran has retaliated by targeting American assets and allied nations across the Gulf, including Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up global prices and triggered shortages of fertilizer and energy supplies worldwide.
Oil Prices Climb as Tensions Escalate
Following news of the latest US strikes, oil markets reacted sharply. Brent crude, the global benchmark, pushed back above $90 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose past $85.
Growing Political Pressure at Home
Domestically, the war remains deeply unpopular among American voters, with midterm elections in November threatening to shift control of Congress away from Republicans. Senator Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the administration’s handling of the conflict in a statement issued Friday.
“Six months later, not a single objective has been achieved,” Reed said, adding that the administration had “weakened our position in the Middle East and the world significantly.”
