Iran attacks US base in Jordan as Hormuz impasse deepens

Iran's Revolutionary Guards launched a retaliatory attack on a US military base in Jordan on Wednesday, in response to American strikes on Iranian oil tankers. The bombing targeted the Al-Azraq air base, damaging maintenance and repair facilities, deployment locations, and shelters for fighter jets. Jordan's military claimed to have shot down 18 missiles from Iran targeting the kingdom.

The incident deepened the war between the US and Iran, which has been locked in a stalemate since six months ago. The US has been pushing to choke Iran's ports and economy, while Iran maintains control over the vital Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route for global oil and gas. Iran threatened to target oil tankers off US-allied Kuwait and Bahrain, warning it would lose tankers for every attack.

The latest flare-up was triggered after the US destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, prompting Iran to warn it would target oil tankers in the region. The price of crude oil rose near $100 a barrel as the war threatened further supply constraints from the Middle East.