US warplanes damaged in Iranian strike on key airbase – CBS

Multiple US military aircraft were damaged in an Iranian strike on a key American airbase in Jordan, CBS reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The attack reportedly took place overnight on Tuesday and targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base near Azraq, about 100 km northeast of Amman, a major hub for US air operations in the region.

One A-10 Thunderbolt, known as the Warthog, suffered severe wing damage, while around eight F-15s were lightly damaged but returned to service, according to the report. No US personnel were killed.

US forces reportedly fired more than 30 Patriot interceptors during the attack. Jordan said it intercepted 18 Iranian missiles, with two falling in unpopulated areas and causing no casualties.

US Central Command has not confirmed the reported damage. It has, however, rejected Iranian claims that two US Navy destroyers were hit in the latest strikes and said American forces had destroyed ten Iranian crude carriers since September 5, including five on Tuesday after Tehran allegedly targeted a US warship with ballistic missiles.

The escalation comes amid a wider US-Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. The US has restricted traffic to and from Iranian ports, while Tehran has imposed controls on passage through the waterway, which handled around a fifth of global oil supplies before the war. Combined with Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure, the renewed fighting has pushed Brent crude back above $100 a barrel amid fears of supply disruptions.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday pledged to attack “a lot more” Iranian vessels if Tehran continues to target American assets. He claimed Iran is prolonging the conflict to influence the US midterm elections, hoping for gains by Democrats, who overwhelmingly oppose the war.

Iran has accused Washington of destabilizing the Middle East through its military operations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Wednesday that if the US genuinely wants peace, it should end its “malign and destabilizing interventions in our region.”

Tehran has repeatedly warned neighboring states against allowing their territory or airspace to support US operations against Iran. Since February, Iranian forces have targeted multiple US assets in the region, including in Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi last week defended the strikes, arguing that Tehran could not be expected to hold back when Arab territory and airspace had been used in US attacks on Iran.