Iranian Retaliatory Strikes Target US Bases In First Escalation In Weeks

UPDATE | Iranian Strikes On US Bases In Jordan, Damaged Multiple Aircraft, Despite CENTCOM Denials

Iranian ballistic missile strikes overnight Wednesday, targeted the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, reportedly damaging multiple US military aircraft** stationed there. An A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog) suffered a direct hit that resulted in a missing wing, while about eight F-15 fighter jets sustained light damage. The damaged F-15s were subsequently repaired and returned to service, with no US fatalities reported at the base.

US forces in Jordan launched more than 30 Patriot missiles to intercept the Iranian attack, which occurred following weeks of relative calm in the escalating US-Iran conflict.

The strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base were reportedly launched by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and came directly in response to a major U.S. naval action where American forces targeted and sank five Iranian oil tankers following Iran's attempts to strike U.S. naval assets and commercial shipping. The IRGC launched coordinated missile attacks targeting key regional hubs housing American forces, including installations in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

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UPDATE | Iranian Missile Barrage Hits US Bases In Jordan, Naval Ships, After US Attacks On Iran's Oil Tankers

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday, destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers in retaliation for repeated ballistic missile attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on a U.S. Navy warship in the last few days. Four tankers were hit in the Gulf of Oman and one near Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export hub; these vessels had moved 45 million barrels of Iranian oil since 2019.

The strikes were part of a new “tanker for tanker” policy approved by President Trump, escalating a broader campaign to cripple Iran’s economy after earlier U.S. strikes on three tankers on September 5 following IRGC attacks on U.S. destroyers DDG-119 and DDG-53.

In retaliation to Tuesday's attacks, the IRGC launched a ballistic missile barrage at U.S.-linked bases in Jordan, specifically targeting the Al-Azraq air base (housing F-35, F-16, and F-15 fighter jet facilities) and the Muwaffaq Salti and Prince Hassan military bases. Jordan’s air defenses intercepted 18 of the 20 missiles launched, with the two remaining landing away from population centers.

The IRGC also claimed it attacked U.S. Navy destroyers and warned of strikes on tankers in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Meanwhile, Iran claimed to have seized a U.S. underwater drone near the Strait of Hormuz. State media identified the craft as the Dive-LD, a 19-foot autonomous submarine manufactured by U.S. defense firm Anduril Industries. This occurred amid ongoing U.S. naval operations to escort commercial shipping through the strait, where ~40 ships transited daily carrying millions of barrels of oil.

The ongoing conflict has transformed the Persian Gulf into a high-intensity maritime battleground involving commercial shipping disruptions, drone warfare, and subsea mining attempts. The war began on February 28, 2026, when pre-emptive U.S. and Israeli military strikes hit Iranian nuclear facilities, leadership command centers, and strategic targets.

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UPDATE | Tit-for-tat: Iran Strikes US Navy Ships After American Attack On 3 Iranian Civilian Oil Tankers

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked six vessels Saturday, after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) struck three Iranian oil tankers. The IRGC claimed it targeted three oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz on "unauthorized" routes and three U.S.-affiliated ships in other areas, using anti-ship missiles.

CENTCOM announced earlier that U.S. forces had "permanently disabled" two Iranian crude carriers and "completely destroyed" a third after the IRGC launched ballistic missiles at a U.S. aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer, which successfully evaded the attacks with no American personnel harmed, CENTCOM claimed.

This exchange marks a significant escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict that began in late February 2026. The strikes on Saturday, were part of a new U.S. "tanker for tanker" policy, first implemented earlier in the week week when the U.S. hit two Iranian government tankers in response to IRGC attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump administration executed a targeted operational shift from striking military sites (such as radars or launchers) toward hitting Iran's commercial oil assets. Using a combination of Navy and Air Force fighters and drones, CENTCOM struck three Iranian crude oil tankers

M/T Downy was struck at the stern off Kharg Island (Iran’s primary crude export hub) and "permanently disabled." M/T Stark 1 struck at the stern near the coastal city of Jask and also "permanently disabled." And M/T Kylo (Noxen), an unladen tanker struck in multiple critical areas in the Gulf of Oman, rendering it inoperable; it subsequently sank.

CENTCOM claimed the targeted tankers was part of a "multibillion-dollar shadow network" funding the IRGC and its regional proxies.

"Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost—taking out three of yours," CENTCOM's Admiral Brad Cooper said in a statement. "We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet."

The IRGC Navy warned other vessels not to transit the strait via "unauthorized" waterways, threatening to target them. Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. strikes as "illegal and aggressive" violations of the UN Charter, while Iranian state media confirmed the crew evacuations from the hit tankers.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on social media, "If Iran shoots at U.S. ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers." President Donald Trump had earlier described the conflict as "small potatoes" and declared the Strait of Hormuz "open."

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most critical oil transit chokepoint, normally handling ~20% of global petroleum. Tensions escalated sharply after a naval blockade and military actions effectively closed off unapproved shipping routes.

US shift to "Tanker-for-Tanker" warfare, transitioning from neutralizing offensive threats (like mine-laying capabilities and coastal radar installations) to targeting the "shadow network" fleet that generates revenue for the IRGC, observers say, is likely to exacerbate the global energy crisis.

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UPDATE | US Strikes On Iranian Targets Kill At Least 4 Including Children At Wedding Celebration, Over 70 Injured

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday at 1600 UTC began a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets, including sites in Bandar Abbas, Jask, Sirik, Minab, Qeshm, and Chabahar.

The operation, CENTCOM claimed, targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) infrastructure, specifically air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications networks, in response to recent IRGC attempts to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and US service members in the region.

A US strike hit a residential home in Kuhestak, Sirik, where a wedding celebration was taking place. According to the Iranian Red Crescent and local officials, the attack resulted in at least four deaths, including a child, and over 68 injuries.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the event as a "savage crime," while CENTCOM stated its focus was strictly on military and strategic infrastructure to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten maritime traffic.

In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at US-linked facilities across the region. The IRGC claimed successful strikes on 85 US military sites, including Camp Titin in Jordan and the Sheikh Isa Airbase in Bahrain. Jordan’s military reported intercepting 10 out of 13 incoming ballistic missiles, while Kuwait and Bahrain activated air defenses against hostile drone and missile attacks.

President Donald Trump warned in a Truth Social post, that Iran would face further, more severe escalation if it continued retaliatory actions.

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters and the IRGC in a statement vowing a "crushing response," and continued retaliatory barrage operations involving ballistic missiles and strike drones aimed at U.S. assets and allied infrastructure across the Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain.

The six-month conflict has focused on control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil flows. Iran closed the waterway in response to U.S.-Israeli attack that started on February 28. U.S. naval forces claim to have conducted mine-clearing and escort operations which has come under Iranian attacks.

This tit-for-tat escalation marks the latest flare-up in a conflict that repeatedly disrupted global maritime trade. Prior to the September 1 strikes, a brief month-long lull broke down when U.S. forces struck missile sites on Larak Island. Iran answered with attacks on tankers and military outposts, directly leading to CENTCOM's massive September 1 military campaign.

Global energy markets responded immediately, with crude prices spiking over $4 a barrel to five-week highs. This comes as Iranian diplomatic efforts are underway at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to secure material and military assistance from partners like Russia and China.

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