Jordan’s military said on Wednesday that it intercepted and destroyed multiple missiles launched from Iran, even as neighbouring Bahrain activated air raid sirens twice within an hour amid growing fears that the escalating confrontation between Tehran and Washington is spreading across the Gulf.
The developments mark a significant expansion of the ongoing conflict, with regional countries increasingly finding themselves caught in the fallout of direct military exchanges between the United States and Iran. The latest incidents come amid a series of retaliatory strikes, drone attacks and military warnings that have heightened tensions across West Asia.
According to Jordanian military authorities, five missiles launched from Iran were intercepted before reaching the Al-Azraq area in Zarqa province. The armed forces said the operation prevented any direct impact on civilian infrastructure.
Officials said debris from the intercepted missiles fell in some areas, but no casualties or property damage were reported. Specialised military and engineering teams were subsequently deployed to secure the affected locations, recover missile remnants and clear any unexploded material.
Jordan reiterated that its armed forces remain on the highest level of readiness and would not allow any violation of the country’s airspace. Authorities stressed that safeguarding the kingdom’s territorial integrity remains a priority amid the deteriorating regional security situation.
Iran claims strikes on military targets in Jordan
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), however, offered a sharply different account of the operation.
According to Iran’s ISNA news agency, the IRGC claimed it had targeted military facilities in Jordan, including hangars housing F-35 fighter aircraft and the US Army’s command-and-control centre at Al-Azraq. Iranian media reports said the force claimed four locations had been struck, including the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
The claims could not be independently verified.
Iranian state media also reported explosions in Bahrain and Kuwait, while Press TV said the IRGC’s naval forces had launched a drone attack targeting the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain at around 2.30 am local time.
The IRGC described the operation as a response to what it called American attacks on locations in southern Iran earlier in the day.
Bahrain issues repeated public safety alerts
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry urged residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location after air raid sirens were activated twice within an hour.
In separate alerts posted on X, authorities renewed safety instructions as emergency protocols were triggered across the Gulf nation.
The warnings came after Iran claimed responsibility for a drone attack targeting the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama. According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC warned that any continuation of American military operations against Iranian territory would invite a stronger response.
The US Fifth Fleet is a key American naval command responsible for operations across the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Arabian Sea.
US-Iran confrontation deepens
The latest flare-up follows US military action announced by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday.
CENTCOM said American forces launched what it described as “self-defence strikes” against Iran after an Iranian attack brought down a US Army Apache helicopter operating over the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out on the direction of the US President and represented a “proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression”.
US President Donald Trump also confirmed that an Iranian strike had downed an Apache helicopter but said both pilots survived without injuries.
“I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he added.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, responding to the American strikes, warned that Tehran would retaliate against any threat to its interests.
“Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination,” Araghchi wrote on X.
“Our Powerful Armed Forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered. Leave our region if you want to be safe,” he added.