Iran–United States: 20 missiles fired towards Jordan, 18 intercepted following U.S. strikes

According to Reuters, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards presented this salvo as a response to Tuesday’s American strikes against five Iranian oil tankers and claimed to have targeted the Al-Azraq base, used by American forces. The Jordanian army, cited by the official agency Petra, confirmed that the missiles originated from Iranian territory without reporting any human casualties.

The day before, the U.S. Central Command had announced the destruction of five Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island. Washington claims to have ordered the crews to abandon the ships before the strikes, which were launched following two Iranian attempts to target a U.S. warship with ballistic missiles.

The Revolutionary Guards also claimed to have attacked ten ships in the Strait of Hormuz area, including two American vessels. These claims had not been independently confirmed at the time. Tehran also threatened to target oil tankers stationed in ports in Kuwait and Bahrain.

This new round of strikes comes as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are already disrupting maritime traffic and energy markets. Brent approached 100 dollars per barrel on Wednesday, with investors fearing further interruptions to oil flows in the region.

An escalation focused around Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz remains at the heart of the standoff between Washington and Tehran. In recent days, the United States has intensified its operations against vessels linked to Iranian oil trade, while Iran has increased attacks or attempted attacks against American military assets and threats against commercial navigation.

According to maritime tracking data cited by Reuters on Wednesday, six ships carrying raw materials passed through the strait on Tuesday, compared to an average of twelve over the previous ten days. The figures remain provisional, as some ships occasionally turn off their transponders.

Jordan says it has avoided human casualties

The spokesperson for the Jordanian armed forces stated that the air defense systems engaged 20 ballistic missiles and neutralized 18 of them. The other two fell in areas far from populated zones. Specialized teams have been dispatched to the sites where debris has fallen.

Amman has asked the population not to approach missile fragments and to adhere to official statements. The Jordanian army has assured that it maintains its surveillance, early warning, and air defense systems at the highest level of readiness in the face of potential new threats.