Iran’s Devastating Attack on US Base in Jordan Marks New War Phase, Analyst Says
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Abdel Bari Atwan, a prominent regional strategic analyst, has outlined eight crucial points regarding Iran‘s devastating missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. In his latest article for the electronic newspaper Rai al-Youm, Atwan asserted that these strikes represent a decisive turning point in the ongoing conflict, which has lasted for nearly five months and has now entered a new and unprecedented phase.
The first point highlighted by Atwan is the high precision of the Iranian missiles, which successfully hit their targets, resulting in the death of two American soldiers, the disappearance of a third, and the injury of dozens more. He noted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted five attacks on U.S. military bases within a four-day period. These attacks extended to the Aqaba port and airport in southern Jordan, triggering U.S. Army sirens in various locations across the country.
Atwan emphasized that these missile attacks transformed Jordan itself into a target, a departure from previous strikes that primarily focused on the depth of occupied territories. This shift signifies that Jordan is no longer merely a transit space for missiles but a direct recipient of them. Furthermore, the analyst stated that these strikes demonstrate the IRGC’s success in developing hypersonic ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads, increasing their accuracy to the point where they can now penetrate U.S. air defenses and strike targets deep within bases. This development has reportedly caused significant concern within the U.S. military’s high command.
The analyst also pointed out that these missiles undermined Jordan’s efforts to deny the existence of U.S. bases on its soil. These bases, Atwan noted, were reportedly constructed under strict secrecy and without the approval of the Jordanian parliament. Information leaked from American circles suggests that the missile attack on U.S. bases in Jordan serves as a prelude to the second phase of the war, which aims to target the depth of Israel. This could be achieved through missile barrages or ground incursions via Jordan’s borders with Iraq, southern Syria, or by sea in the Gulf of Aqaba and the port of Eilat, considered strategic points for the Zionist enemy.
Atwan further noted that Iran’s missile and drone attacks on power and desalination plants in Kuwait and Bahrain, in response to U.S. attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure, bridges, and railway lines, have caused alarm among Jordanian leaders. Jordan is now classified in the same category as Persian Gulf countries, meaning its infrastructure could also be vulnerable to similar attacks. The disappearance of an American soldier following the Iranian attack, coupled with the deaths of two servicemen, has raised numerous questions amid the U.S. military’s secrecy regarding his fate. Atwan questioned whether the soldier was abducted by a Jordanian or non-Jordanian entity, and whether he remains in a secure location in Jordan or has been transferred elsewhere, including Iraq.
Atwan concluded by stating that the most dangerous consequence of Iran’s missile attack on Jordan and the killing of American soldiers is the beginning of military coffins returning to their homeland. He suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump, who he claimed ignited this conflict under pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will have to greet these coffins at airports. Atwan asserted that the U.S. has not achieved victory in any of its Middle Eastern wars, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, attributing its retreats and damage mitigation to mounting casualties. He suggested the U.S. is heading toward a greater defeat in Iran. While the U.S. military command has officially admitted to the deaths of 16 soldiers and the injury of 427 others in the conflict with Iran, unofficial information suggests that the actual figures are considerably higher. Public opposition to U.S. and Israeli aggression against Iran is reportedly growing, coinciding with rising living costs, fuel prices, and commodity prices within the United States. Atwan posited that President Trump’s days in office are numbered, and the results of the upcoming midterm congressional elections in November could signal the beginning of a countdown to his impeachment or even prosecution.
