Iran Strikes US Base in Jordan as Hormuz Crisis Deepens

Tehran: Iran has launched a fresh wave of attacks against US interests in West Asia, including a strike on an American military base in Jordan, after Washington destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in the latest escalation of the six-month-old conflict.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that it had targeted the US air base at Al-Azraq in Jordan with missiles. Iranian state media said the attack damaged maintenance and repair facilities, aircraft shelters and deployment areas.

Jordan's military said it intercepted 18 missiles launched from Iran towards its territory. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The latest escalation followed US strikes on five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday. The US military said it ordered the crews to abandon the vessels before carrying out the attacks. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the action, saying Washington would continue targeting Iranian tankers if Tehran attempted to attack American naval vessels.

Iran had previously warned that attacks on its oil tankers would trigger retaliation against US military positions across the region. On Wednesday, Tehran also threatened commercial vessels operating near US allies Kuwait and Bahrain, telling crews to leave their ships or risk being targeted.

The confrontation has added further pressure to an already strained global energy market. Brent crude climbed close to $100 a barrel on Wednesday, reaching $99.38, while US West Texas Intermediate rose to $94.51.

At the centre of the crisis is the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping corridor that normally carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Since the war began in February, Iran has exercised significant control over the waterway, with commercial traffic severely disrupted.

The IRGC also claimed on Tuesday that it had seized a US unmanned submarine drone in the strait, describing it as one of the most advanced of its kind. The US military disputed the claim, saying the drone was an older model that had malfunctioned and contained no sensitive information.

Iranian state television further claimed that the IRGC had launched ballistic missiles at two US destroyers. The US military had not immediately confirmed the allegation.

With Washington targeting Iranian energy assets and Tehran threatening US forces and shipping in response, the latest exchanges have raised fresh concerns that the conflict could further destabilise the region and intensify pressure on global oil supplies.