DID Press: Regional tensions have expanded from the Red Sea to Iraq and Jordan following reports of a missile attack on a US military base in Jordan and airstrikes by the United States and Saudi Arabia on positions linked to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
Regional sources reported late Tuesday that a missile attack targeted a US military facility in Jordan, a strike later confirmed by a US official who described it as a “major” attack. Israeli media, including Channel 12, reported that at least five ballistic missiles were fired toward US positions in Jordan, while reports also indicated the activation of the Patriot air defense system in central Jordan and the sighting of smoke near Al-Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement that it had targeted a US air base and Central Command facility in Jordan with several ballistic missiles in response to American actions. The statement said further responses would continue as long as what it called “US threats and unlawful actions” persist.
Meanwhile, local sources in Iraq reported joint US-Saudi airstrikes against several PMF positions in Karbala, Nineveh, Salah al-Din, and Kirkuk provinces. Some reports said facilities used to serve Arbaeen pilgrims in Karbala were also affected. The PMF condemned the attacks as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, reporting casualties and saying damage assessments were ongoing.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry also claimed that several drones launched from Iraqi territory had targeted its oil facilities and were intercepted by Saudi air defenses. An Iranian military official rejected the allegation, calling the attribution of attacks against US interests in the region to Iran a “major miscalculation.”
In the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker captain heard an explosion near the vessel. No further details about the source of the incident were immediately available.
At the same time, Yemen’s armed forces announced that they had shot down a Saudi “Karayel” reconnaissance drone during an operation over Saada Province.
The series of developments highlights a sharp rise in regional tensions, with security incidents reported simultaneously across Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the Red Sea, raising concerns over further escalation.