Ten ballistic missiles were fired at a US military base in Jordan on Thursday, according to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), pushing the fragile ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States to the verge of collapse. The IRGC stated that the target was the Azraq military base in northern Jordan, also known as Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, where the US military has built up a significant presence during the conflict with Iran.
IRGC Warns of Further Attacks
“If the US military repeats its aggression, other American bases in the region will not be spared from heavy fire,” the IRGC said in a statement. Despite the attack, there are no reports of damage or casualties. All missiles were “intercepted and dealt with,” Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad Al-Momani said on X.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces completed an additional round of strikes against Iran on July 8 to further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Oil Tankers Rush Out of Strait of Hormuz
Intensifying attacks in the Persian Gulf over the past two days and President Donald Trump’s threat to reimpose a US-led naval blockade are motivating Iran to get its oil tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz quickly. Iran shipped out 10 million barrels of crude and fuel overnight, according to TankerTrackers, a maritime shipping tracker. That’s a significant ramp-up.
Before Thursday, Iran managed to get a total of 60 million barrels of oil out over the past three weeks, according to Windward Intelligence. On Wednesday, tanker operators got cold feet entering and leaving the strait as uncertainty about the military situation led many ships to drop anchor. Crossings through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday fell to 25, down from 49 the previous day, according to MarineTraffic.
Fear of Being Stuck Drives Decline in Crossings
Part of the reason for Wednesday’s decline in strait crossings was the fear that vessels entering the region would get stuck there. Most of the crossings Wednesday were west to east (exiting the Persian Gulf). Other than the United Arab Emirates, which has shipped as much as 65 million barrels of oil after the strait reopened, Iranian exports have surpassed all other oil producers. The regime makes 50 per cent of its revenue off oil sales, which are crucial to the country’s post-war revitalization.
The reimposition of US sanctions on Iranian oil Tuesday does not appear to be deterring China from buying: Though a shadow fleet of tankers, 32.3 million barrels of Iranian oil are currently headed toward China, according to Windward Intelligence.
