JORDAN: During the ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, Iran has fired multiple ballistic missiles at the Al-Azraq airbase established in Jordan.US military personnel and fighter jets are present at this base, which is why Iran considers it an important American military target.
According to a report by Arab media, the Jordanian Armed Forces said that Iran fired a total of 20 ballistic missiles late at night and on Wednesday morning, of which 18 missiles were intercepted and destroyed in the air, while 2 missiles fell in open areas.A-10 Thunderbolt and F-15 jets damaged in Iranian attack on US airbase in Jordan: US MediaAccording to Jordanian authorities, there was no loss of life in the attacks.On the other hand, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed that the missile attacks targeted and severely damaged the maintenance, preparation and deployment sites of US F-35, F-16 and F-15 fighter jets, aircraft protective shelters and other installations.According to Arab media, an American official in Washington also claimed that the Iranian missile attack against US troops in Jordan was not effective and the integrated air and missile defense system thwarted the attack.
Why is Iran targeting this base?
Iran has claimed to have targeted US military installations in Jordan several times in recent weeks. This series increased further when the United States attacked Iranian missile launcher installations in the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington’s stance was that Iran was preparing to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz through these launchers. In response, Iran started attacks on US military installations in the Gulf countries and later also included Jordan in its operations.
According to a 2026 report by the US Congressional Research Service, there are about 4,000 US troops in Jordan, some of them stationed at the Al-Azraq base, while US troops are also present at the King Faisal Air Base in southern Jordan and at a military center called Tower 22 located near the Syrian and Iraqi borders.
Iran has claimed to have attacked the Al-Azraq base more than 10 times between March and September. On July 17, Iran claimed to have targeted US aircraft with ballistic missiles and drones.Later, the US Central Command confirmed that 2 US soldiers were killed, 1 was missing and 4 were injured in this attack.
How important is Al-Azraq base for US?
The ‘Muwaffaq al-Salti’ airbase in Jordan, also known as Al-Azraq, is located in the eastern desert area about 100 kilometers northeast of the Jordanian capital Amman.This airbase was named after Jordanian fighter pilot Lieutenant Muwaffaq al-Salti who was martyred in the war with Israel in 1966.Jordan and the US signed a defence cooperation agreement in 2021, under which the US military and its contractors have access to 12 Jordanian military installations.
According to experts quoted in the Arab media report, the Al-Azraq base is extremely important for the US because modern fighter jets as well as large military and logistics operations can be carried out there.
The base has two runways and large hangars to keep aircraft safe.According to experts, Iran is especially trying to target these hangars and aircraft installations. According to US officials, before the current war against Iran, Al-Azraq base had become an important logistics center for US cargo planes and about 60 fighter jets.
The Arab media report states that Jordan’s geographical location is also important for the US because it is farther from Iran than the Gulf countries, which gives US military assets relatively more distance from Iranian missiles and drones.
According to the report of the US Congressional Research Service, Jordan’s airbases have also been extremely important for US intelligence, surveillance, target identification and reconnaissance operations in Syria and Iraq.
Tensions likely to intensify rather than decreaseArab media claimed that since 2016, the presence of US drones and fighter jets has been seen at Al-Azraq base in satellite images, but before the 2021 defense agreement, the US had not officially acknowledged its military presence there.The US Congress approved $143 million in Air Force construction funds for the expansion of Al-Azraq base in 2017. During the current war, some US troops were also transferred from Gulf countries to Jordan, which further increased the importance of Al-Azraq base.
Read also: Jordan’s CJCS meets Field Marshal Asim Munir at GHQ
