Iranian missile attacks damaged US warplanes in Jordan – report

American F-15 fighter jets and an A-10 attack aircraft stationed at an airbase in Jordan were reportedly damaged during Iranian missile strikes Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

By World Israel News Staff

An Iranian ballistic missile attack on a major US air base in Jordan damaged around eight F-15 fighter jets and left an A-10 Thunderbolt II with severe wing damage, according to multiple reports, marking one of the most significant successful Iranian strikes on American military equipment during the war.

The aircraft were hit at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan during attacks overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, according to people with direct knowledge of the damage who spoke to CBS News.

About eight F-15s suffered light damage and were subsequently returned to service, while an A-10 Thunderbolt II close support attack aircraft was struck badly enough that one of its wings was reported missing.

Air & Space Forces Magazine independently reported that the damaged F-15s were F-15E Strike Eagles and remained serviceable despite sustaining minor damage. The publication described the impacted A-10’s wing as severely damaged.

No American personnel were reported killed in the attack.

The strikes came as Iran retaliated for a major US attack on Iranian oil shipping earlier Tuesday.

US Central Command said American forces had destroyed five oil tankers associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after Iran attempted to strike a US Navy warship.

Four of the tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman and another near Kharg Island, Iran’s principal crude-oil export terminal.

“American forces directed the crews to abandon ship before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable,” CENTCOM said.

Tehran subsequently launched ballistic missiles toward Jordan, where US forces maintain a substantial presence.

The Jordanian Armed Forces said Iran fired 20 ballistic missiles toward the kingdom. Jordanian air defenses intercepted 18, while two landed in unpopulated areas.

Jordan reported no casualties from the attack and said its surveillance and air-defense systems remained at their “highest state of readiness.”

Despite the high interception rate, at least some Iranian weapons or debris reached Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and damaged American aircraft.

US forces fired more than 30 Patriot interceptor missiles during the defense of Jordan, according to CBS News. The heavy expenditure comes amid growing concerns over US stocks of high-end air-defense interceptors after months of combat operations in the Middle East.

Muwaffaq Salti has become an important hub for American air operations during the conflict with Iran.

Dozens of US military aircraft have operated from the Jordanian facility, including F-15E strike fighters and A-10 aircraft.

The latest strike demonstrates that even a largely successful missile defense can allow individual incoming weapons to inflict damage when faced with a sufficiently large barrage.

The attack also formed part of a broader escalation across the Persian Gulf.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had attacked two US warships and eight oil tankers as part of its retaliation for the American tanker strikes. CENTCOM denied that any US Navy vessel had been hit.

“No U.S. Navy warship has been struck; all IRGC attempted attacks failed,” CENTCOM said, calling Tehran’s claims of damage to American warships “completely FALSE.”

Several merchant ships were nevertheless damaged in separate attacks across the Gulf and Gulf of Oman, while a tanker carrying roughly two million barrels of Iraqi fuel oil was hit by a drone in Iraqi waters.

The escalating attacks have further disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes. Just seven commodity vessels were recorded passing through the strait Wednesday, compared with roughly 125 large commercial vessels per day before the war.

Iran’s retaliation followed the US destruction of five Iranian tankers, which Washington said were part of Tehran’s shadow fleet and generated revenue for the Revolutionary Guards.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that continued Iranian attacks on American naval forces would bring further consequences.

“At the end of the day, they continue to fire on naval ships and when they fire at our naval ships, they pay a price in tankers,” Rubio said.

“In the meantime, we’re going to continue to strangle them economically,” he added.