Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that individuals inside Jordan supplied intelligence that helped the Islamic Republic carry out strikes on US military sites in the country, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.ย
The IRGC said the operation destroyed 20 hangars housing US forces at Jordan’s al-Azraq air base and killed “dozens of American troops”, a figure that stands in sharp contrast to Washington’s own count of 17 US service members killed since the conflict began.
What did Iran claim?
The IRGC claimed its ballistic missiles struck US C-17 transport aircraft and P-8 surveillance planes stationed at Aqaba airport, causing serious damage. The claims came as the US carried out a fresh round of airstrikes across Iran early Monday morning, itself a response to the confirmed death of another American soldier, which had prompted Iran to fire missiles at Jordan in the first place.
Why did the US strike Iran again?
Before Monday’s strikes, the Pentagon said its operations were specifically aimed at the IRGC, in retaliation for the American personnel killed in Jordan during Friday’s attack. US defence officials said one service member remains unaccounted for, and that unidentified remains recovered on Sunday were being examined. The confirmed US death toll since the conflict began stands at 17.
“American military assets also targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces that launched attacks against U.S. service members in Jordan on July 17. More than 50,000 U.S. men and women in uniform are operating across the Middle East. They remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.
How has the fighting escalated?
The exchange has now stretched into its second week, with US fighter jets striking infrastructure inside Iran, including bridges and electrical facilities. As Monday’s strikes began, a commercial ship caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman’s coast, confirmed by the British military, though the cause remains unclear.ย
According to reports, Merchant vessels have been advised by the US Navy to avoid sea lanes under Iranian control, and the IRGC has since confirmed it is deliberately targeting tankers passing through the strait.
What’s happening across the wider region?
Iran has continued striking US-aligned states in the region, with air defence systems in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait activated again to intercept incoming Iranian drones and missiles.ย
The US Embassy in Bahrain issued an emergency advisory early Monday, warning that Iran may target unspecified locations in central Manama, without offering further detail. Israel also issued its own warning, cautioning that Iranian missiles aimed at Jordan could spark wildfires severe enough to spread into Israeli territory for the first time in weeks.