Key facts
- Iranian strikes damaged multiple US military aircraft at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
- One A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft was struck and lost a wing.
- Approximately eight F-15 fighter jets sustained light damage and were returned to service.
- No US deaths have been reported in the strikes.
- The attacks followed US strikes on five Iranian oil tankers.
- US forces launched over 30 Patriot missiles in defense against the Iranian strikes.
Multiple American military aircraft were damaged in Iranian strikes on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan this week, according to US officials speaking to Reuters and CBS News. One A-10 Thunderbolt II, known as the "Warthog," was struck and lost a wing, while approximately eight F-15 fighter jets sustained light damage and were returned to service. No US deaths have been reported in the strikes.
The Iranian attack followed a US operation on September 8 targeting five Iranian tankers, which the US said was in retaliation for Iran targeting a US Navy warship. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it launched attacks at eight tankers and two warships, including the base in Jordan.
US forces in Jordan launched more than 30 Patriot missile interceptors to defend against the Iranian strikes. Jordan's Armed Forces stated that its air defenses engaged 20 ballistic missiles fired toward Jordanian territory, intercepting 18 and with two falling in unpopulated areas. The exact missiles responsible for the aircraft damage have not been publicly identified.
According to a May report from the Congressional Research Service, 42 US military aircraft had already been lost or damaged in the conflict. Since the Iran war started in February, 18 US service members have been killed and over 800 injured.