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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on July 30 that it launched an attack on an air base in Jordan hosting United States forces, destroying three American F-35 fighter jets.
The IRGC described the attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base — also known as Al-Azraq — as retaliation for overnight U.S. strikes on Iran that killed three members of a family on Qeshm Island.
In a statement issued by its public relations office, the IRGC addressed the “honorable and discerning people of Jordan,” thanking them for their “sincere support and cooperation,” particularly the “clear positions” taken by some Jordanian elites.
The statement accused the U.S. of launching the earlier strikes from bases in Jordan after being “unable to confront Iran directly.” It claimed American forces targeted two residential homes in the Chah Tangu neighborhood of Qeshm Island before dawn, using heavy bombs.
“The attack killed a father, a mother and one of their children, while wounding two other children. Two additional children survived and were taken to hospital for treatment,” the IRGC said.
The Corps said its Aerospace Force responded by attacking the deployment ramp and maintenance hangar at the Jordanian base with several ballistic missiles.
“This morning, the Aerospace Force fighters attacked the deployment ramp and maintenance hangar of the enemy’s American F-35 fighter jets at Al-Azraq Air Base with several ballistic missiles,” the statement read.
The IRGC claimed the strike “completely destroyed three F-35 aircraft and inflicted heavy damage on three others,” and that several American officers and technical personnel were killed.
“The region is no place for a child-killing army that so brutally massacres innocent families in their sleep at midnight,” the IRGC said. “Our struggle, alongside yours, will continue until the last American occupier is expelled from Islamic lands.”
Blasts were reported near Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, although neither the Jordanian army nor U.S. Central Command has yet addressed the IRGC’s claims.
The latest exchange of strikes marks the start of a new confrontation between the U.S. and Iran. Further American attacks will likely push the Islamic Republic to expand its strikes beyond Jordan. Indirect talks between the two sides are reportedly still ongoing, but considering the failure to reach any real understanding, a return to full-on war seems far more likely.
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