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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting US military assets at bases in Kuwait and Jordan, according to statements carried by Iranian state media and the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency. The claims, reported by The Jerusalem Post, describe missile and drone strikes on the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the Azraq base in Jordan, as well as damage to US aircraft at Jordan's Aqaba Airport.

The IRGC also issued a statement thanking "honorable people and mujahid soldiers of Jordan" for providing intelligence that it said enabled the attacks, a claim that has drawn skepticism from regional experts who note that Iran has little support base in Jordan.

Coverage Comparison

The Jerusalem Post provided two separate reports on the events. The first, published July 16, reported that the IRGC targeted a gathering of US soldiers at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait early Thursday morning, according to Iranian state media. The report also stated that the IRGC targeted early-warning radar systems at the base in a dual missile and drone attack, and that US military communication systems and fuel storage tanks were targeted at the Azraq base in Jordan. Local Jordanian media reported that eight Iranian missiles were intercepted, according to the same report.

The second report, published July 20, focused on the IRGC's claims of intelligence cooperation with Jordanian civilians and the attacks on Aqaba Airport. The IRGC claimed to have damaged US aircraft in these attacks, which came after Amman denied having evacuated the airport and seaport.

Both reports rely on IRGC-affiliated sources or Iranian state media for the claims of attacks and damage. The Jerusalem Post's reporting includes expert analysis from Professor Ronen Yitzhak, an expert on Jordan from the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, who cast doubt on the IRGC's assertions of local support.

Key Claims

  • Attacks on US bases: The IRGC claimed to have targeted US soldiers at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and early-warning radar systems at the same base. The attack was described as a dual missile and drone operation, as reported by The Jerusalem Post based on Iranian state media.
  • Targets at Azraq base: The IRGC also claimed to have targeted US military communication systems and fuel storage tanks at the Azraq base in Jordan, according to the same reporting.
  • Interception of missiles: Local Jordanian media reported that eight Iranian missiles were intercepted, as noted in The Jerusalem Post's July 16 report.
  • Intelligence cooperation claim: The IRGC issued a statement thanking "honorable people and mujahid soldiers of Jordan" for providing intelligence that allegedly supported the attacks. The IRGC claimed to have received information on US C17 transport aircraft and P8 command-and-control aircraft.
  • Damaged aircraft at Aqaba Airport: The IRGC claimed to have damaged US aircraft in attacks on Jordan's Aqaba Airport, a claim reported by The Jerusalem Post on July 20.
  • Iran's supposed aims toward Jordan: The Jerusalem Post report quoted Professor Yitzhak as saying that Iran has long aimed to destabilize Jordan and overthrow its authorities, but also noted that Jordan lacks a sizeable Shiite population and that public opinion surveys in Jordan show consistent hostility to Iran, undermining the IRGC's claims of local support.

Perspectives

The Jerusalem Post report includes the perspective of Professor Ronen Yitzhak, who is quoted as saying that the Islamic Republic has no real support base in Jordan. He pointed to the absence of a large Shiite population and surveys showing anti-Iran sentiment among Jordanians, contrasting with the IRGC's claims of gratitude for Jordanian cooperation.

The IRGC's own statements, as reported by Fars News Agency and carried by The Jerusalem Post, present a different viewpoint, asserting that Jordanian civilians and "mujahid soldiers" provided crucial intelligence and thanking them for their cooperation. The IRGC also encouraged Muslim civilians in Jordan and Kuwait to "destroy the aggressive American institutions" and "liberate the Islamic lands from the bases of the American occupiers," according to a message reported by The Jerusalem Post.