Jordan says it intercepted missiles launched from Iran
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Jordan's air defenses intercepted and destroyed five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday, the country's military said.
- U.S. Central Command said it had knocked down a separate Iranian missile barrage aimed at American forces in the Middle East hours earlier.
- U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck militia logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in response to more than 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks in the prior 72 hours.
- Iran launched its ballistic missile attack before the U.S.-Saudi strikes in Iraq, and a U.S. official, speaking anonymously, stressed the two attacks were not connected.
- The Pentagon is asking Congress for additional funding to cover the conflict's ballooning costs, after four U.S. troops died during fighting in recent weeks.
- Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said the kingdom "does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces," while the U.S. warned further attacks on its troops or Saudi energy infrastructure risked additional action.
Why it matters: The roughly three-day pause in U.S.-Iran fighting has collapsed, with Iranian missiles now aimed at Jordan — a new frontline — alongside parallel U.S.-Saudi strikes on Iraq-based militias, broadening the conflict's geographic footprint and forcing the Pentagon to seek additional funding from a skeptical Congress.



