Tehran: Multiple US military aircraft were damaged during Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday, according to a CBS News report citing sources familiar with the situation.
The report stated that approximately eight F-15 fighter jets sustained minor damage but were subsequently restored to service. Additionally, an A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft was struck and reportedly lost a wing. No US fatalities were reported in connection with the attack on the Jordanian facility.
According to sources, US forces stationed in Jordan launched more than 30 Patriot missiles to counter the incoming Iranian strikes. The defensive response comes amid growing concerns among US officials regarding a diminishing supply of Patriot interceptors and other precision-guided munitions.
The attack on the base in Jordan followed statements from the US government on Tuesday confirming retaliatory strikes against five Iranian tankers, which Washington said was in response to Iran targeting a US Navy vessel.
Following the air base strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that it had launched attacks against eight oil tankers and two warships, alongside the targeting of the US installation in Jordan.
Addressing a Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, late Wednesday, US President Donald Trump stated that the United States is currently winning its military conflict with Iran. Trump declared that Washington controls the Strait of Hormuz and proposed renaming the waterway the "Trump Strait." He further asserted that Iran is no longer capable of exerting dominance in the Middle East and projected that global oil prices would decline once the conflict concludes.
Trump also issued a warning regarding Iran's Pickaxe Mountain facility, stating that the US is monitoring activity at the site and would react severely to any nuclear developments.
The escalations occur despite a memorandum signed in June intended to establish a framework for reopening the Strait of Hormuz as part of broader peace negotiations. Preliminary ship-tracking data showed that transits through the strategic waterway dropped to seven vessels on Wednesday, down from 12 the previous day and below the 10-day daily average of 14 vessels.
