Iran Says It Targeted US-Used Base and Ships Near Hormuz; Jordan Intercepts 18 of 20 Missiles

Key Facts

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on September 9 that it fired ballistic missiles at a base near Al Azraq in Jordan used by U.S. forces and separately attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz, including 2 U.S. vessels and 8 oil tankers. The maritime attacks’ results had not been independently confirmed at the time of review.

Jordan’s armed forces confirmed that 20 ballistic missiles were launched from Iranian territory toward the kingdom. Air defenses intercepted and destroyed 18, while 2 fell in unpopulated areas. The military reported no casualties.

A U.S. official told Reuters that all American personnel were accounted for and that the strikes in Jordan were ineffective. That conflicts with the Revolutionary Guard’s damage claim, leaving the extent of any physical damage unresolved pending a detailed official assessment.

The attack followed U.S. Central Command’s announcement that it destroyed 5 Iranian crude oil tankers on September 8. CENTCOM said the operation answered 2 Revolutionary Guard attempts over 2 days to target a U.S. warship with ballistic missiles; the ship evaded the attacks and no American personnel were harmed.

CENTCOM identified the vessels as M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, plus M/T Derya near Kharg Island. That put 4 tankers in the Gulf of Oman and 1 near Kharg, with crews directed to abandon the ships before the strikes.

The threat to commercial shipping remains high. The U.S. Maritime Administration says Iran continues to threaten and strike commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman. It advises U.S.-flagged vessels to remain at least 30 nautical miles from U.S. military ships and register with UKMTO 24 hours before entering the reporting area.

Energy Information Administration data illustrate the economic exposure: oil and petroleum-liquid flows through Hormuz averaged 4,900,000 barrels a day in the second quarter of 2026, down from 21,600,000 barrels a day in the fourth quarter of 2025 before the conflict. The EIA assessed shipments as severely constrained through August, with a gradual recovery expected in September.

In the United States, commercial crude inventories fell by 4,450,000 barrels in the week ended August 28, from 428,910,000 barrels to 424,460,000 barrels. The draw adds to underlying market sensitivity but does not by itself establish a price effect from the latest attacks. The next signals are official damage assessments, any additional military response, confirmed vessel reports and actual transit volumes through Hormuz.