A missile of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [AFP]
A missile of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [AFP]

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched a ballistic missile attack Tuesday against a US military base in Jordan.

According to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC issued a statement saying it "struck a US Air Force base and central command post in Jordan with multiple ballistic missiles in response to the aggressive actions of US forces."

The IRGC said "threats by US officials and illegal interference in our national interests must stop," adding that "as long as the threats continue, our resistance will continue as well." It did not specify what "aggressive actions" by US forces it was referring to.

Earlier, US Central Command, which oversees American military operations against Iran, said Iranian forces had fired multiple ballistic missiles at US bases in the Middle East.

CENTCOM said on X, formerly Twitter, that "at 5:45 p.m. Eastern time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in a surprise attack against US military bases in the Middle East."

It added that all Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted and that US forces "remain at a heightened state of alert and readiness."

CENTCOM did not disclose the location of the targeted base, but Barak Ravid, a reporter for the US online outlet Axios, cited US officials as saying a US military base in Jordan was the target.

In a separate post on X, CENTCOM said it had carried out precision strikes alongside Saudi Arabian forces against "Iran-backed terrorists" in Iraq.

The precise sequence of events remains unclear, raising the possibility that Iran resumed its strikes in retaliation for attacks on Iran-aligned Iraqi militias.

However, the United States maintains that Iran launched its ballistic missile attack before US and Saudi forces conducted their airstrikes in Iraq.

A US official briefed the Associated Press on the matter on background, saying the two attacks were unrelated.

The Iranian strike ended a five-day lull in hostilities that had held through Tuesday.

US forces had carried out airstrikes against Iran for 13 consecutive days before halting July 24, after which Iran had also stopped its retaliatory attacks on US military bases in the Middle East.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com