Direct exchange of fire between the US and Iran have taken place in the Middle East for the first time in more than a month.
Jordan said it intercepted eight missiles on Monday morning after Iran attacked US bases in the kingdom in retaliation for American strikes overnight on an island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The UAE Ministry of Defence said later on Monday morning that it had intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters.
Iran's IRGC Navy also claimed that a supertanker had caught fire after striking two sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The claim could not immediately be independently verified.
The Jordanian military said, in a statement carried by state media, that it had “intercepted eight missiles that penetrated the kingdom’s airspace” before they posed a threat to civilians or property.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched ballistic missiles against US forces at Jordan’s King Hussein and Al-Azraq airbases after US strikes on two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday night.
US Central Command said it had taken “limited, precise action” against IRGC mine-laying forces that posed an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz, in an operation aimed at protecting civilian mariners and commercial shipping.
The IRGC had been preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines, the US military said. Iranian media reported explosions near Larak Island, while the IRGC said several fighters and civilians had been killed or wounded.
The IRGC Navy said a supertanker later caught fire after striking two sea mines while attempting to cross what it called an “illegal” southern route in the strait.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the IRGC Navy said the vessel suffered “massive fires” and was “completely stopped”. The IRGC Navy did not identify the tanker or say what caused the fire.
“The fate of ships that violate the security regulations of the Strait of Hormuz will be no different,” the IRGC said, declaring its transit rules “mandatory”.
The UAE's Ministry of Defence said that it intercepted a drone over its territorial waters and that its Armed Forces are "are on alert and ready to deal with all threats".
Mine-laying
In a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster, the IRGC noted “the martyrdom and injury of several of our fighters and compatriots”, without giving an exact toll. It said the attack would “result in punishment of the aggressor”.
The strikes mark the first direct exchange of fire between US and Iranian forces since late July, when Washington shifted from military action towards increasing economic pressure on Tehran.
US President Donald Trump said last week that mines had been cleared from international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and warned Iran that any vessel trying to lay new mines would be destroyed.
The IRGC said its Aerospace Force responded by launching a combined missile and drone operation against two US air bases in Jordan.
Shortly before 3am Dubai time on Monday, it said ballistic missiles were fired at technical and maintenance infrastructure and areas at King Hussein Air Base and Al Azraq Air Base where US fighter aircraft were stationed.
The IRGC said the strikes caused “heavy damage”, but provided no evidence or detailed assessment.
The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to retaliate against Israel and Gulf states hosting US military bases. The conflict has now passed the six-month mark.
Thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced by US and Israeli strikes on Iran and by Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Eighteen US service members have also been killed.
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The war has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy route that carried about a fifth of the world’s oil supply before the conflict.
Larak Island is located near Iran’s key southern port of Bandar Abbas and close to the main shipping lanes at the mouth of the Gulf. The US strikes came days after Washington said it had cleared mines from international shipping routes in the strait.
Centcom commander Adm Brad Cooper said on Friday that US forces had used divers, special operations forces and aircraft to clear internationally recognised shipping lanes of Iranian sea mines, helping nearly 1,500 commercial vessels carrying almost 750 million barrels of crude oil to global markets transit the waterway.
Mr Trump posted an AI-generated video on his social media showing Iran’s energy hub of Kharg Island being “blown to smithereens”, but provided no further detail.
There was no confirmation from the US military that Kharg Island had been struck, while Iran made no immediate public statement about the island coming under attack. There was no immediate response by Iranian media to Mr Trump’s video.
Kharg Island is Iran’s main oil export hub and handled about 90 per cent of Iranian oil exports before the war. A confirmed attack there would represent a major escalation beyond the strikes on Larak Island and could severely disrupt Iran’s energy trade.
Oil prices rose on Monday morning to more than $90 a barrel in response to the latest flare-up, which came after the Trump administration stepped up economic pressure on Iran.
