Iranian missile and drone strikes on Jordan kill three US soldiers

In the early hours of Thursday, Iran launched rockets and drones at Jordan, targeting the U.S. air base Muwaffaq Salti. Jordan’s military said it intercepted four rockets and six drones, but three U.S. service members, including a 19‑year‑old airman, were killed when an Iranian missile struck a base accommodation.

The attacks are part of a recent surge of Iranian strikes on U.S. facilities across the region, with similar drone and missile incursions reported in Kuwait and Bahrain. Analysts say Iran is shifting focus to smaller Gulf states, believing they will face limited retaliation. The growing vulnerability of U.S. overseas bases has sparked a wider debate about the strategic risks of maintaining a large foreign military presence.

Jordan, traditionally a front‑line ally of the United States, now confronts the dual threat of Iranian retaliation and internal pressure from its largely Palestinian‑origin population, which opposes U.S. and Israeli policies in the region.