What is Jordan’s Al-Azraq base and why is Iran targeting it?

What the report says

Iran said it launched ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, also known as Al-Azraq, in an escalation linked to its broader confrontation with the United States. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the strike took place overnight on Tuesday into Wednesday, and Jordanian authorities said they intercepted 18 of 20 missiles, with two landing in open areas and no casualties reported.

The base, near Azraq in Jordan’s Zarqa governorate and about 100km northeast of Amman, hosts US military personnel and assets. Al Jazeera said the site is significant because it includes runways, hangars and support facilities used by US aircraft, including fighter jets such as the F-35, F-16 and F-22. The article also noted that Jordan hosts nearly 4,000 US troops across several installations under a 2021 defence cooperation agreement.

Tehran has repeatedly claimed attacks on Al-Azraq in recent months, and the latest strike came amid a wider exchange of attacks involving US forces and Iranian-linked targets. The report said the base has been used for intelligence, surveillance and logistics operations in the region, which helps explain why it is a strategic target. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera described Jordan’s location as offering the US added distance and flexibility compared with other regional bases.

Because the article relies in part on claims by Iranian and US officials, some battlefield details could not be independently verified in the text. Still, the episode underscores how Jordan has become more exposed in the regional conflict despite not being a direct belligerent.