Jordan Becomes Prime Iranian Target as U.S. Military Footprint Expands

Iran has intensified its targeting of Jordan, exemplified by Friday’s attack that killed two American service members, a consequence of the kingdom’s deepening role in U.S. military operations against Tehran, according to analysts.

The United States and Jordan maintain longstanding cooperation across military, intelligence, and counterterrorism domains, with the kingdom hosting major U.S. air bases. Washington reportedly increased its reliance on Jordan in the lead-up to and early stages of the conflict with Iran, as the Pentagon relocated troops from Gulf Arab states—including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar—to more secure positions in Jordan and Israel.

U.S. officials indicate Jordan’s strategic importance grew as other regional allies restricted American basing and overflight rights.

Unlike its resource-rich Gulf neighbors, Jordan depends heavily on U.S. foreign aid, limiting its leverage to refuse American requests. Omid Memarian, an Iran analyst at the Washington-based DAWN think tank, suggested Sunday that Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia are now even more reluctant to allow U.S. strikes on Iran from their territory following Iranian retaliation. “But Jordan, because of its security agreement with the U.S. and the very one-sided, dominant relationship Washington has with Jordan, would not be in a position to say no,” Memarian said.

On Sunday, Jordan evacuated the international airport and seaport in the coastal city of Aqaba following a “specific and credible threat,” according to the U.S. embassy. The Jordanian military subsequently reported its air defenses intercepted three Iranian missiles targeting the country, while a fourth landed in an unpopulated area.

During the conflict’s initial phase, Iran concentrated its retaliation on Israel and Gulf Arab states assisting the United States. However, the military calculus appears to have shifted as the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deteriorates.

Friday’s strike on a Jordanian military base killed two U.S. soldiers and left another missing, marking the fourth attack on American forces in the kingdom within a week, leaving dozens wounded and damaging several helicopters, according to U.S. officials.

The first assault struck a residential facility at King Faisal Air Base, wounding up to five U.S. service members. A second hit a base in eastern Jordan, damaging U.S. Black Hawk helicopters.

Two days later, Iranian missiles bombarded Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq—a key U.S. Air Force hub—wounding approximately 20 American troops sheltering in bunkers. That base was struck again Friday, resulting in the two fatalities and four additional injuries.

Iran claimed Friday it launched a drone attack targeting fuel tanks at the U.S. base in Azraq, alongside missiles and drones aimed at aircraft shelters, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency. Tehran previously stated it targeted radar and communications systems used by U.S. forces.

The U.S. military has long operated from Jordanian air bases, with nearly 4,000 service members currently stationed in the country, per a recent Congressional report.

Earlier this month, Jordan’s army chief, Maj. Gen. Yousef Hunaiti, and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Daniel Zimmerman discussed expanding bilateral military and defense cooperation, according to Jordan’s Petra state news agency.

U.S. economic and military aid to Jordan, ongoing since the 1950s, has tripled over the past 15 years. In fiscal year 2025, Washington provided Jordan $1.45 billion in combined assistance, the Congressional report noted.

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