AL-AZRAQ, Jordan – Multiple U.S. military aircraft were damaged after Iranian strikes targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, according to people with direct knowledge of the incident cited by CBS News.
One A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, commonly known as the Warthog, was struck and lost a wing, the sources said.
About eight F-15 fighter jets also sustained light damage but were reportedly returned to service. The sources spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to discuss the damage publicly.
No U.S. deaths have been reported in connection with the strikes on Jordan.
The attack followed a U.S. military operation on Tuesday in which American forces targeted five Iranian tankers. The action came after Iran had targeted a U.S. Navy warship.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps subsequently claimed it had launched attacks against eight tankers and two warships, including the U.S. base in Jordan.
More Than 30 Patriot Missiles Fired
U.S. forces stationed in Jordan launched more than 30 Patriot interceptor missiles to defend against the Iranian strikes, according to the report.
The scale of the defensive response has renewed concerns about U.S. stockpiles of Patriot missiles and other precision munitions.
Trump Says War Could End After Midterm Elections
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran was seeking to influence the upcoming U.S. midterm elections and suggested the conflict could end immediately after the vote.
Trump told reporters before departing for Texas that Iran was “desperate” to affect the elections and accused Tehran of seeking a weaker U.S. government that would leave it free to pursue nuclear weapons.
The president also said he was not currently seeking negotiations with Iran before the midterm elections, although he acknowledged that talks could potentially take place.
Trump said the United States was now too far into the conflict to pursue the type of deal he had originally wanted.
The reported damage to U.S. aircraft comes as American and Iranian forces continue to exchange attacks, raising further questions about the sustainability of U.S. air-defence and precision-munitions inventories in the region.
