Iran launches ‘major surprise attack’ on US base in Jordan

Videos appearing to show smoke near the base fueled questions about possible missile impacts.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan early Wednesday morning, marking what American officials described as a “surprise attack” and a significant departure from the recent pause in direct hostilities between Washington and Tehran.

The strike came after several days of relative calm. The United States had suspended its bombing campaign against Iran after carrying out airstrikes for 13 consecutive nights, while Iranian officials told international media outlets that Tehran would halt attacks on American military assets so long as the U.S. refrained from further strikes.

It remains unclear what prompted Iran to abandon that apparent understanding.

According to U.S. and Jordanian officials, Iran fired at least five ballistic missiles toward the American installation in the early hours of Wednesday.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the attack in a post on X, describing it as an attempted surprise strike.

“IRGC forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East,” the post read.

Jordan’s military also confirmed that the missiles entered the kingdom’s airspace but emphasized that its air defenses successfully intercepted the incoming projectiles.

“Air defenses this morning dealt with five missiles coming from Iran targeting the kingdom’s territory,” a Jordanian military spokesman said in a media statement, emphasizing that the missiles were “intercepted and downed.”

Despite those assurances, videos circulating on social media appeared to show a large plume of smoke rising from the vicinity of the U.S. base, prompting speculation that at least one missile may have landed near the installation. The authenticity and exact location of the footage could not be independently verified, and neither U.S. nor Jordanian officials immediately acknowledged any successful impacts.

Speaking anonymously to The Jerusalem Post, a senior U.S. official characterized the incident as a serious escalation.

“This was a major attack,” the official said.

Shortly after the missiles were launched, Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi — an American-Iranian academic widely regarded by many analysts as closely aligned with the Iranian regime — posted a message on X suggesting Tehran was prepared for further escalation.

Iran is “fully prepared for all-out war,” Marandi wrote.