Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched approximately 10 ballistic missiles at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on July 9, a significant escalation that underscores just how quickly the Middle East situation is deteriorating. The IRGC accused the US of using Jordanian bases as staging grounds during prior confrontations with Iran, framing the strike as a defensive response.
Jordanian military forces intercepted between four and eight of the incoming missiles. Zero casualties and no significant damage have been reported by either Jordanian or US sources.
What happened and why it matters
The IRGC went further than just launching missiles. Iranian state media positioned the strikes as retaliation for what it described as US aggression operating out of Jordanian territory. And the Guards issued explicit warnings about further escalation if confronted again.
This wasn’t an isolated event, either. Similar missile exchanges occurred in June 2026 against Jordanian and other regional military installations, including targets in Kuwait and Bahrain. The pattern suggests a deliberate Iranian strategy of testing US and allied air defense networks across multiple Gulf states simultaneously.
