Iran Launches Missiles at Jordan After US Destroys Oil Tankers

Iran launched 20 ballistic missiles toward Jordan overnight, with the Jordanian army reporting that 18 were intercepted and two fell in open areas. No casualties were reported in Jordan, and interceptions were also observed over Israel. The missile launch followed a U.S. operation that destroyed five Iranian oil tankers. According to U.S. officials, the tanker destruction was a response to an attempted Iranian missile strike by the Revolutionary Guards against a U.S. Navy warship, which evaded the attack without casualties.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, "Every time Iran tries to hit our Navy ships, it will lose oil tankers." The Revolutionary Guards claimed the missile barrage at Jordan was retaliation for the U.S. strike on the tankers. They also asserted that two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf simultaneously.

The U.S. confirmed its action against the tankers was in response to Iranian attempts to strike the Navy ship. Both sides reported further maritime activity, with the Revolutionary Guards claiming to have attacked vessels attempting to transit a "forbidden and unsafe" area in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. released footage of its strike on the Iranian oil tankers.