Iran Fires Missile Barrage at Jordan After US Sinks Tanker

Iran launched about 20 ballistic missiles at a US-used air base in Jordan, marking a major geographic expansion of the conflict after US strikes sank an Iranian tanker.

The US military struck five Iranian crude oil tankers on Tuesday, sinking one of them, in response to two Iranian attempts over the past two days to hit a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles, according to CENTCOM. Four carriers were hit in the Gulf of Oman and one near Kharg Island, Iran's main crude export terminal in the Persian Gulf. Iran retaliated within hours by launching a missile barrage at Jordan, saying it was targeting Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a key facility used by US forces. The Jordanian army said its air defenses dealt with 20 ballistic missiles, destroying 18, with two falling in unpopulated areas and no deaths reported.

The attack on Jordan represents a significant geographic expansion of direct Iranian military activity and shows the growing risk of the conflict spilling beyond the principal belligerents, shipping intelligence firm Marisks said in an update on Wednesday. Jordan is a staunch US ally that hosts American forces, making its bases a repeated target. Analyst Hamidreza Azizi of the International Crisis Group said Iran's repeated attempts on US warships and the increased quality and quantity of its missiles show a pattern of gradual escalation. Iran also warned tanker crews near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels immediately, threatening to target them — which Azizi said would be a first if it hits ships stationed in ports rather than transiting Hormuz.

CENTCOM released video it said showed the tanker M/T Riesco on fire and sinking in the Gulf of Oman, and said US forces ordered crews to abandon ship before striking; Iranian state media said crews of two vessels reached shore in lifeboats. CENTCOM said the targeted US warship evaded Iranian missiles and no American personnel were harmed. Jordanian air defenses intercepted 18 of the roughly 20 inbound ballistic missiles, with two falling in unpopulated areas and no casualties reported, according to Jordan's military. CBS News reported Brent crude trading above $99 a barrel Wednesday morning and US crude up 1.2% to $94.17, as Hormuz traffic remains choked since the war began in February.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Barranquilla, Colombia, warned that every time Iran targets US naval ships, 'they're going to lose tankers.' The Trump administration also sanctioned 27 Iranian airlines and nine service providers over alleged support to sanctioned carrier Mahan Air, which the US accuses of supporting the IRGC. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mocked the move on X, asking whether Washington's solution after failing through sanctions and war was simply more sanctions. Meanwhile, fighting widened on other fronts: CBS News reported Iran-backed Houthis claimed more than 30 Saudi strikes across Yemen after Houthi attacks near Bab al-Mandab injured 73 people early Tuesday, per Saudi authorities.