Washington Strikes Iran for the First Time in Weeks. Tehran Responds by Attacking US Bases in Jordan
On Monday night, Iran launched a missile attack on American bases in Jordan, Iranian media reported, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). They clarified that this attack was Tehran's response to American strikes on Larak Island. US military forces on Sunday struck Iranian missile launchers on the Iranian island of Larak, a US official confirmed. These are the first American strikes on Iran since late July, writes the BBC.
On Monday night, Iranian media published an IRGC statement saying that in response to the attack on Larak Island, Tehran launched a missile strike on American bases "King Hussein" and "Al-Azraq" in Jordan.
The IRGC stated that it targeted "enemy technical infrastructure and fighter positions" and inflicted "serious damage."
Jordan confirmed that it intercepted missiles in its airspace.
"Air defense systems intercepted eight missiles that intruded into the Kingdom's airspace today, Monday, at dawn," the state news agency "Petra" reported, citing a statement from the Jordanian armed forces.
Hours earlier, US Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins, explaining the US strikes on Iran, stated that American forces had observed that "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were preparing to launch missiles with naval mines into the Strait of Hormuz."
The IRGC reported that several people were killed and wounded in the attack and promised "responsible measures and punishment."
This is the first known US strike on Iran since White House head Donald Trump suspended military operations against Tehran in late July. Washington stated that it had completed mine-clearing operations on the main shipping lane in the strait earlier this month.
Hours after the Iranian strikes, Trump posted videos on Truth Social, apparently created with AI, showing oil infrastructure exploding.
One of them was accompanied by the caption "Kharg Island Blown to Smithereens!!!", referring to a major oil terminal off the coast of Iran that Trump had threatened to seize. In the social media post, the White House head provided no further details.
Larak Island is located near the coast, in close proximity to the key port of Bandar Abbas, and lies in the Strait of Hormuz — a vital maritime route for global shipping.
Iran is currently forcing tankers to pass by this island for inspection and, according to some reports, is forcing ships to pay $2 million for passage.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mahebi called the attack a "strategic and fatal mistake by the Trump regime" and stated that "the enemy will pay for this miscalculation both economically and militarily."
The Iranian news agency Tasnim, affiliated with the IRGC, previously reported that the attack was carried out using drones. Reportedly, two people were killed and two others injured as a result.
Last week, Trump stated that all mines planted by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz as part of attempts to block the route had been destroyed. He noted that Iran was warned: any vessel or boat installing new mines would be destroyed.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi called Trump's statement a "propagandistic" deception.
Iran faces new economic pressure after Washington announced a new package of sanctions on August 24, aimed at further isolating Tehran and expanding secondary sanctions against its allies.
Iranian officials and state media have largely interpreted this campaign as a continuation of previous US economic measures, which, they claim, followed Washington's military failure in the conflict.
On February 28, the US and Israel struck Iran, to which Tehran responded with attacks on Israel, American bases, and allied states in the Persian Gulf, and effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz for maritime navigation. The war with Iran has been going on for more than six months.
Before the war, about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas used for transportation passed through here.
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