The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it launched a ballistic missile strike on US-run Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan’s Azraq, destroying three American F-35 fighter jets and heavily damaging three others in retaliation for a US airstrike that killed three members of a family on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
The IRGC’s public relations office issued the statement on Thursday, addressing the “honorable and discerning people of Jordan.”
It thanked Jordanians for their “sincere support and cooperation,” particularly the “clear positions” taken by some Jordanian elites, saying their stance had increased pressure on the United States.
The statement noted that the United States launched an airstrike before dawn using “occupied bases” in Jordan after being unable to confront Iran in direct war.
The IRGC said US forces targeted two residential homes in the Chah Tangu neighborhood of Qeshm Island with heavy bombs, killing a father, a mother and one of their children while wounding two other children. Two other children survived the attack and were taken to hospital for treatment.
“In response to this crime and to help you liberate the Islamic land of Jordan from the scourge of the American occupiers,” the IRGC said, “the Aerospace Force fighters attacked the deployment ramp and maintenance hangar of the enemy’s American F-35 fighter jets at Al-Azraq Air Base this morning with several ballistic missiles.”
The statement said that the strike “completely destroyed three F-35 aircraft and inflicted heavy damage on three others.”
It also said several US officers as well as technical and maintenance personnel were killed in the attack.
“The region is no place for a child-killing army that so brutally massacres innocent families in their sleep at midnight,” the statement said.
“Our struggle, alongside yours, will continue until the last American occupier is expelled from Islamic lands,” it added.
The retaliation comes as the US has been targeting southern Iranian provinces since earlier in July after violating the terms of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
Tehran has responded with repeated missile and drone attacks targeting US-operated military facilities across the region under Operation Nasr 2 and Operation Sa’eqeh (Lightning).
The IRGC not bothering to target actual boots on the ground is lowkey insulting. Like, “you can stay, burger. We’re just gonna destroy your fuel and planes. Welcome to West Asia.”
You destroy the fuel and planes, there is very little for the boots to do. None of these people are actually well trained to fight anyone without overwhelming force.
As I will keep harping, killing people doesn’t win you wars, destroying the ability to affectively wage war wins you wars, and while it is said that people are hard to replace, in a sclerotic empire like the U.S., equipment is even more difficult to replace.
Not that I don’t take some measure of joy in seeing the inevitable happen to U.S. soldiers, I just don’t mistake that with logistical victory.
When the planes are all gone and there’s nothing left to protect the soldiers, then the fun begins and the genocidiers will get their reckoning.
people being hard to replace is why that prisner guy is better than some of us think.
american casualties don’t drive the war, they won’t even admit boots died of Iran.
Are you talking about Mike Prysner?
i don’t care enough to know what vowels he uses
I don’t blame you, but also it makes it difficult to understand what you’re actually trying to say
Can we have a few burgers crabbed, though? As a treat?
Apparently we did this time
Iran knows that US cares more about property than people. There’s not US “boots on the ground” in Iran. The US has a base in Jordan. Jordan is some kind of monarchy government which bows to the US.
Also I think Iran wants to disable the base in Jordan because Jordan is between Iran and Israel. My speculation is that destroying the US base in Jordan makes it easier for Iran to attack Israel.
Don’t even need to speculate. It most certainly does.