Jordan intercepts 5 Iranian missiles as Middle East war escalates

Iran fired five ballistic missiles at Jordan early Wednesday, shattering a three-day pause in fighting as the US and Saudi Arabia launched retaliatory strikes against Tehran-backed militias in Iraq.

Jordan's air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday, the military said, hours after the US military knocked down an Iranian barrage targeting American forces across the Middle East.

"The missiles were detected by surveillance and monitoring systems and destroyed in accordance with approved rules of engagement," the Jordanian armed forces said in a statement carried by the official Petra news agency.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its Aerospace Force fired ballistic missiles at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and the headquarters of US Central Command in Jordan. The attack came after the US and Saudi Arabia struck multiple sites in eastern Iraq used by Tehran-backed militias, killing at least 20 fighters and wounding 32 others, according to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of primarily Shiite Iran-backed armed groups.

The escalation threatens to draw Jordan directly into a conflict that has already killed four US troops in recent weeks and disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint handling about 20% of the world's traded crude. The IRGC's navy separately claimed to have struck three oil tankers in the strait, raising the risk premium on crude supplies.

The fighting ended a brief period of relative calm — roughly three days without announced attacks — following weeks of escalation over the strategic waterway. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the Guard's naval forces targeted the tankers after they allegedly ignored warnings and continued along what it described as an "unsafe and illegal route."

The last time Iran directly targeted Jordanian territory was during the April 2024 drone and missile attack on Israel, when Jordan also intercepted projectiles. That incident did not trigger sustained tit-for-tat strikes. This time, the US has explicitly warned of further military action.

"US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours," US Central Command said. The Saudi Defense Ministry acknowledged the strikes, warning that "the Kingdom emphasizes that it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces."

Oil Risk Premium Widens

Brent crude's risk premium has expanded as the conflict threatens two of the world's most critical energy chokepoints. The Houthi rebels in Yemen, also backed by Iran, claimed to have forced a Saudi oil tanker to turn back in the Red Sea as part of an announced blockade of Saudi shipping. The Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Strait of Hormuz together handle roughly a third of global seaborne oil trade.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the strikes. The Iraqi military said the country is committed to "preventing Iraqi territory from being used as a route or launching point for any attack targeting brotherly or friendly countries." The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed groups, denied involvement in the drone attacks and called the Saudi claims "fabrications."

What Comes Next

The US has signaled that further attacks on American troops or Saudi energy infrastructure will trigger additional military responses. The Pentagon has asked an increasingly skeptical Congress for additional funding to cover the conflict's rising costs, while the Senate advanced a bill Wednesday to impose harsher sanctions on Russia and Iran.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.