U.S. Strikes Iran for Seventh Night as Gulf Tensions Escalate
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated following reports of an Iranian-backed attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan. The U.S. is reportedly increasing its military presence in Israel, including the deployment of additional refueling tankers, amid a potential broader campaign against Iran.
Why it matters
The direct targeting of U.S. personnel and the subsequent military buildup represent a significant risk of regional war and global energy market instability.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it destroyed U.S. aircraft in a drone and missile attack on a military base in northern Jordan, the guard-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported.
The Iranian paramilitary force said it struck "fortified hangars housing fighter aircraft and a large aircraft parking ramp" at the base, also known as Muwaffaq Salti, adding that it "destroyed at least two American fighter jets and three other U.S. aircraft, while inflicting major damage on several others."
Jordan later said it shot down four drones that entered its airspace.
The statement posted on Tasnim, an Iranian news agency linked to the Revolutionary Guards, urged Jordanians to take up arms against U.S. soldiers on their soil, saying that Islamic religious rulings say "invading non-Muslim soldiers on Islamic lands are considered lawful targets."
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