Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Thursday that it had launched a missile strike against the US-operated Al Azraq Air Base in Jordan, alleging that three American F-35 fighter jets were destroyed and several US military personnel were killed or injured.
In a statement carried by Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC said the attack was carried out in retaliation for the latest US military strikes on Iranian territory.
"In response to this crime and to help liberate the Islamic land of Jordan from the presence of the American occupiers, the IRGC targeted the parking area and maintenance hangar of American F-35 fighter jets at Al Azraq Air Base with several ballistic missiles," the statement said. The force claimed the attack "completely destroyed" three F-35 aircraft and inflicted heavy damage on three others.
The claim came hours after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had completed a new wave of strikes on targets across Iran. According to CENTCOM, the operation targeted military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal defense systems, and maritime capabilities in an effort to reduce Iran's ability to threaten US forces and shipping in the Middle East.
The IRGC's claims regarding the destruction of US aircraft and casualties have not been independently verified, and US authorities had not publicly confirmed the reported damage at the time of writing.
