Iran retaliates with ballistic missile strikes on US bases in Jordan

Iran Strikes US Military Bases in Jordan After American Attacks on Hormuz Island

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missile strikes against two US military air bases in Jordan, state media reported, hours after American forces bombed Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian retaliation marks a dangerous escalation in a West Asia conflict now stretching into its sixth month.

The exchange of fire began Sunday when US Central Command carried out what it described as "limited, precise action" against Revolutionary Guards minelaying forces on the small island, saying the targets posed an "imminent threat" in the strategic waterway. Washington framed the strikes as necessary to prevent Iran from deploying additional sea mines into the strait, just days after announcing it had finished clearing explosives from the channel.

Casualties and Counter-Strikes

The American bombing resulted in "casualties" on Larak Island, according to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tehran's response came swiftly, with ballistic missiles targeting US military installations in Washington-allied Jordan. The Revolutionary Guards claimed the strikes caused "heavy damage," though Jordan's army said it intercepted eight missiles without confirming their origin.

Iran also said it targeted American military personnel at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE separately announced Monday it had dealt with a drone coming from Iran over its waters.

Oil Markets React to Hormuz Tensions

Oil prices jumped more than one dollar per barrel Monday as the conflict directly threatened the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of global energy supplies transit. The waterway's security has become increasingly precarious, with Houthi attacks, launched by Iran's proxies in Yemen, intensifying in recent weeks near the Bab al-Mandab strait at the Red Sea's southern end.

The strikes on Larak Island represent the first US attacks on Iranian territory in a month, breaking a brief lull in direct military engagement between the two nations. President Donald Trump amplified the confrontation on social media by sharing AI-generated videos purporting to show devastating strikes on Iran's Kharg Island oil hub, though no such attack has been confirmed. The artificially created footage depicted massive explosions at oil storage facilities, imagery experts suggest may serve as psychological intimidation rather than documentation of actual operations.

Kharg Island handles 90 percent of Iran's oil exports under normal conditions, making it a critical economic target, though a US naval blockade has reportedly curtailed tanker activity there in recent months.