Iranian airstrike on Jordanian air base kills 3 US soldiers

Jordan had gotten off relatively lightly in the US-Iran war so far – that is now changing. And Iran is trying to incite the population in its favor.

29 July 2026 | 6:00 PM

Launch of a rocket from an unknown location towards US targets in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain | Photo: sepahnewscom/afp

From Tel Aviv Serena Bilanceri

A glowing streak tears through the darkness over the desert. With a dull thud, something strikes behind a low building. More projectiles appear in the sky. Seconds later, explosions erupt, flames engulf buildings, and sparks rain to the ground. The video shows an Iranian airstrike on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base near Azraq in western Jordan on July 17.

The attack cost three US soldiers their lives. According to the Wall Street Journal, citing military sources, the rockets hit US soldier accommodations, a sports hall, and an aircraft hangar.

The airstrike in Azraq was Iran's first deadly attack in Jordan – but not the first to hit its target. In mid-July, residential buildings at the King Faisal military base came under fire, wounding five US soldiers. Rockets then landed on the Prince Hassan Air Base in eastern Jordan, destroying several Blackhawk helicopters, according to the New York Times. Several dozen US forces are said to have been injured in these airstrikes.

A Kingdom in a Difficult Neighborhood

The USA and Jordan have cooperated militarily for years. At the beginning of the war with Iran, the United States increasingly brought troops and aircraft to Jordan, as satellite images from Azraq show. Several countries on the Arabian Gulf rejected the use of their soil or airspace. The Hashemite Kingdom, however, remains one of the most reliable Western partners in the region, especially in the fight against terrorism.

In return, Jordan receives modern weapons, training, and billions of US dollars in aid. From the USA alone, it received approximately €1.27 billion in 2025. The kingdom may be able to complain, but it can hardly refuse if the USA wants to use its bases. This puts the leadership elite in a difficult position – and the country directly in the crossfire.

Jordan lies between Israel – with which it made peace as early as 1994 – the West Bank, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Over the past 50 years, it has maintained internal stability, not least through strategic alliances and so-called "soft authoritarianism" – tight control without mass violence.

Iran's Propaganda Also Targets Jordan

At least half the population has Palestinian roots; since the war in Gaza, discontent has been great – also towards its own government.

But why are Iranian rockets suddenly hitting US equipment in Jordan more accurately and lethally? Experts see several reasons: Jordan's growing importance in US military strategy and Iran's increasing ability to adapt its attacks and bypass air defense systems. US President Donald Trump recently suggested on camera that Jordan's protective mechanisms were not good enough. Iran's Revolutionary Guards, on the other hand, stated that they had accessed information provided by Jordanian citizens and military personnel.

Jordanian experts deny this. Geopolitics expert Amer al-Sabaileh says it is "alarming that Iran is also targeting Jordan with propaganda." This is not the first statement calling on Jordanians to take initiative. There are Iranian sleeper cells in Jordan. Iran is thus trying to increase pressure on the USA and Israel.

Saud al-Sharafat, a former intelligence officer and director of the Shorufat Center for Terrorism Studies, sees it similarly. Such statements are a pattern of Iranian strategy aimed at destabilizing the kingdom from within.