Iran says it has launched attacks against US military positions in Jordan and at Al Minhad Airbase in the United Arab Emirates, escalating tensions after US forces bombed two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island.
The US military said the launchers were preparing to fire naval mines into the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route, and described the planned operation as an “imminent threat.” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out the strike to prevent Iran from disrupting commercial shipping through the strategic waterway.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the US attack on Larak Island killed and wounded several Iranian fighters and civilians, according to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was not seeking a wider war but would respond to attacks against the country. “Iran is not looking for war,” Pezeshkian said, while stressing that Tehran would “never sit still in the face of any aggression.”
Iran subsequently launched retaliatory missiles and drones toward US military positions, including targets in Jordan and the UAE. A US official told Al Jazeera that American forces intercepted Iran’s retaliatory missiles headed toward Jordan. Jordan’s armed forces separately said they intercepted and destroyed eight missiles that entered the kingdom’s airspace.
The exchange represents a significant escalation after a period of relative calm between Washington and Tehran and highlights the continuing importance of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a substantial portion of global energy supplies passes.
The latest confrontation comes as diplomatic efforts to ease tensions remain uncertain, with regional countries continuing to seek a way to restore stability and protect maritime traffic. The United States and Iran exchanged attacks overnight into Monday for the first time in more than a month, threatening to reignite a conflict that had entered a period of relative military calm.
