AMMAN, Jordan: US-Iran fighting escalated early Monday after Iran fired ballistic missiles toward US military targets in Jordan, hours after American forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted King Hussein and Al Azraq military bases in retaliation for Sunday’s Larak strike.
Tehran claimed damage, but independent confirmation of that claim was not immediately available. Jordan’s armed forces said air defences intercepted eight missiles that entered the kingdom’s airspace early Monday.
The exchange began after US forces struck two IRGC launchers on Larak Island in Iran’s Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM spokesperson Tim Hawkins said Iranian forces had been preparing rockets capable of deploying sea mines into the waterway.
Read: US Iran Blockade Redirects 75 Commercial Vessels: CENTCOM
Iran said the US strike killed and wounded several fighters and civilians, without releasing a precise casualty figure.
The IRGC then promised a military and economic response. The renewed fighting followed several days of diplomacy involving Pakistan, Oman and Qatar.
Read: US-Iran War Reaches Six Months as Economic Pressure Builds
Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Tehran, while Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also held talks aimed at de-escalation and a possible renewal of US-Iran dialogue.
Read: US Says 82 Ships Rerouted Under Iran Blockade as Tehran Reports 35% Trade Drop
Washington has meanwhile continued its blockade of Iranian ports. The US military said it had redirected 83 commercial vessels and disabled three by Sunday as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained sharply reduced.
Oil prices reacted immediately. Brent crude climbed 2.52% to $90.32 a barrel in early Monday trading, while US West Texas Intermediate rose 2.41% to $85.41.
