Key facts
- Iran's IRGC claimed responsibility for missile strikes on Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
- Jordan's army intercepted 18 of 20 ballistic missiles launched from Iran.
- One US A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft sustained damage, including a missing wing.
- Approximately eight US F-15 aircraft suffered light damage and were returned to service.
- Satellite imagery suggests destruction of aircraft shelters and drone facilities.
- Analysis of satellite imagery indicates potential US troop casualties.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Wednesday to have launched "devastating" missile strikes on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, a facility heavily utilized by the U.S. military for regional operations. The IRGC described the action as a "punitive operation" in response to U.S. strikes on Iranian vessels.
Jordan's army reported that its air defense systems engaged 20 ballistic missiles launched from Iran, successfully intercepting and destroying 18 of them, while two fell in unpopulated areas. However, CBS reporter Jennifer Jacobs stated that multiple American military aircraft sustained damage. Specifically, one A-10 Thunderbolt, known as the Warthog, was struck and left with a missing wing, while approximately eight F-15s suffered light damage and were returned to service.
Newly released satellite imagery analyzed by the open-source intelligence group EGYOSINT suggests that the attack caused substantially greater damage than initially reported. The imagery indicates the destruction of multiple additional aircraft shelters, drone facilities, and military infrastructure, raising questions about the vulnerability of U.S. military installations in the Middle East. The analysis shows several hardened aircraft hangars were destroyed, including at least three to four shelters reportedly used to house U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drones. Two MQ-9 drones parked outside hangars at the time of the strike also appear to have suffered direct damage. Furthermore, satellite analysis indicates that U.S. troop accommodation areas were struck, with damage patterns suggesting that American service members may have been killed.