Iran Uses Advanced Khaibar Shekan Missile in Deadly Strike on Jordanian Base

Iran employed the advanced Khaibar Shekan ballistic missile in a deadly attack on the Muwaffaq Salti base in Jordan, which resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal published overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. The missile, operational since 2022, has a range of at least 1,500 kilometers, uses solid fuel, and is equipped with satellite guidance and a maneuvering warhead designed to evade air defense systems. This strike is part of a series of Iranian missile attacks in recent days, demonstrating Tehran's maintained and possibly enhanced missile launch capabilities despite previous US and Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran's extensive underground missile storage facilities, known as "missile cities."

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged during a Senate hearing that Russia and China may be directly aiding Iran's attacks against Gulf states and US military targets in the Middle East. Military experts estimate that the Khaibar Shekan missile was used in the Friday attack in Jordan, marking the third missile strike on the base within 24 hours. Earlier strikes damaged a gym and an empty aircraft hangar, while the final missile hit residential quarters where soldiers were sleeping, causing casualties despite early warning sirens.

The Pentagon also revealed the names of two additional US soldiers killed recently in combat linked to Iranian aggression: Sergeant Angel Rampersad, 28, from New York, who was the third soldier killed in the Jordan attack, and Sergeant Michael Swinton, 30, from North Carolina, who died in Iraq from shrapnel caused by a remotely detonated Iranian explosive drone. Retired Brigadier General Ran Kochav, former commander of the Israeli Air Force's air defense array, suggested that the increased success of Iranian missiles penetrating defenses is partly due to damage sustained by radars and air defense systems in the early stages of the conflict. Iran's Revolutionary Guards recently claimed to have used various ballistic missiles and drones in their recent attacks, including the Fateh 110, Qiam, Zulfiqar, and Shahed drones.

This escalation highlights the complex regional dynamics and the involvement of external powers, with Iran continuing to challenge US and allied forces in the Middle East through sophisticated missile technology and persistent attacks.