Iran fires missiles at Jordan as regional tensions escalate
On Tuesday (21 July), Iran also attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel. Tehran has simultaneously expanded its military operations against US allies in the region, launching attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
Iran launched missiles at Jordan on Wednesday (22 July), prompting air raid sirens in the port city of Aqaba, as renewed hostilities across the Middle East continued to overshadow diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring a collapsed interim ceasefire.
Jordan's military said it intercepted four Iranian missiles, while two others landed in uninhabited areas without causing reported casualties. Videos recorded from the nearby Israeli city of Eilat showed plumes of smoke rising over Aqaba.
The latest attack came after the US military said it had completed its 11th consecutive night of strikes on targets inside Iran.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Iranian air defence systems were activated around the capital, Tehran, while the state-run IRNA news agency reported explosions in Bushehr, East Azerbaijan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Khuzestan, and Sistan and Baluchistan provinces. According to the US military, the strikes targeted aircraft hangars and drone storage facilities.
On Tuesday (21 July), Iran also attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel. Tehran has simultaneously expanded its military operations against US allies in the region, launching attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
The renewed violence has further complicated diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator, in an attempt to revive negotiations. However, there has been no indication of progress toward a new ceasefire agreement.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday (21 July), US President Donald Trump expressed little optimism about renewed talks, saying Washington had "no interest in meeting." He also indicated that US forces could soon strike areas near one of Iran's principal uranium enrichment sites.
Meanwhile, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have intensified regional tensions by announcing a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, threatening global oil shipments and trade routes. With shipping through the Strait of Hormuz severely disrupted, Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on its pipeline to the Red Sea to maintain crude oil exports.
