Tehran: Iranian military officials on Thursday claimed responsibility for a drone strike targeting U.S. fighter aircraft stationed at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, also known as al-Azraq, in Jordan.
The operation, reported by the Mehr News Agency, commenced in the early hours of Thursday as a swarm of attack drones was deployed against the installation. Tehran characterised the assault as both a commemoration of fallen martyrs and a direct retaliation for what it described as hostile actions by Western forces.
The al-Azraq Air Base serves as a critical strategic centre for U.S. operations in West Asia, facilitating advanced fighter jet sorties alongside sophisticated surveillance and combat drone missions. Iranian authorities stated the objective of the strike was to "diminish the enemy's aerial and operational capabilities."
Expanding Regional Conflict
The strike marks a notable escalation in a broader campaign of drone and missile operations conducted by Iran against U.S. and Israeli forces since the conflict erupted on Feb. 28.
The reported attack on the Jordanian facility followed another significant claim by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) earlier Thursday. In that instance, the IRGC asserted it had successfully targeted an Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing centre in Bahrain.
Strategic Implications
While the Pentagon and Jordanian authorities have yet to provide a definitive assessment of the damage or confirm the presence of casualties, the claim has further strained the security situation in the Gulf and Levant. The latest hostilities come as President Donald Trump warned of intensifying the American bombing campaign unless Iran agrees to a 15-point ceasefire plan and reopens the Strait of Hormuz.