Iran launched six missiles towards the southern Jordanian port city of Aqaba on Wednesday morning, triggering air-raid sirens and forcing Jordanian air defences to engage the projectiles immediately upon entering the kingdom’s airspace. According to a statement from the Jordanian Armed Forces, four missiles were intercepted and destroyed, while the remaining two fell in remote, uninhabited zones. No casualties or material damage were reported. The attack also prompted precautionary measures in neighbouring Israel, where residents of Eilat, across the Gulf of Aqaba, reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke rise from the Jordanian side. The Israel Defense Forces stated that no Iron Dome interceptors were launched and that no debris from the Jordanian interceptions fell on Israeli territory, though an Arkia flight from Tel Aviv to Ramon Airport was briefly held in a holding pattern as a safety measure.

Jordanian military sources later confirmed that Royal Jordanian Air Force jets also intercepted and downed four Iranian drones that had entered the kingdom’s airspace the same morning, without causing injuries or damage. Engineering units were deployed to secure the impact sites and handle unexploded ordnance. The operations reflect what Amman describes as a near-daily tempo of Iranian ballistic missile and drone incursions. In recent days, the Jordanian military has reported multiple interceptions, and the US military confirmed on Saturday that two American service members were killed and another was missing following Iranian strikes on Jordan on Friday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has publicly claimed responsibility for targeting the “Shahid Muwaffaq Salti” airbase in Azraq and the “Prince Hassan” airbase in Safawi, both hosting US personnel, as well as US military aircraft at Aqaba airport.

Viewed from Tehran, the strikes are presented as reprisals for the presence of American forces and their support for Israeli military operations. Iranian state media have reported the activation of air defence systems around the capital and explosions in several provinces, framing the exchanges as part of a wider confrontation. A temporary leadership council in Iran has signalled a conditional halt to attacks on regional states if they cease backing what it terms the “American-Israeli military operation.” From Amman’s perspective, however, the repeated violations of its airspace constitute an unacceptable assault on national sovereignty. The Jordanian foreign ministry summoned the Iranian chargé d’affaires on Sunday to protest the “continued Iranian aggressions,” and the armed forces have reiterated that they will engage any aerial threat under standing rules of engagement.

The latest salvo underscores the expanding geography of a conflict that has drawn in multiple regional actors. Western military officials note that Iran has also struck targets in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, all of which host American bases. Jordan, which has previously intercepted dozens of Iranian projectiles—including more than 80 drones during a major Iranian attack on Israel in April 2024—finds itself on a front line it did not choose. The kingdom’s airspace remains under continuous operational surveillance, and further interceptions are expected as long as Iranian launch activity persists. Diplomatic channels, including a recent visit by Iran’s interior minister to Pakistan, suggest efforts to explore de-escalation, but no formal negotiations have been announced.