Iran has launched retaliatory military operations in response to a U.S. bombing of an Iranian oil tanker.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced in a statement on the 9th (local time) that it had targeted a U.S. military base in Al-Azraq, Jordan, with ballistic missiles.

According to Reuters, the Jordanian military confirmed through state-run media that 20 ballistic missiles were fired from Iran.

The Jordanian military stated that two missiles that were not intercepted landed far from residential areas and that no casualties were reported from the Iranian airstrike.

Iran claimed that, in retaliation for the bombing of its oil tanker and other vessels, it also struck two U.S. Navy warships in the region.

In a separate statement, the Revolutionary Guard stated that it successfully hit U.S. destroyers DDG-119 and DDG-53, which are equipped with cruise missiles and the Aegis advanced integrated maritime combat system, with missiles.

Previously, Iran threatened to attack oil tankers near the coasts of Kuwait and Bahrain to hold them accountable for the U.S. attack on its oil tanker.

"We warn all oil tankers in the ports of Kuwait and Bahrain that harbor terrorists and complicit in their evil deeds," the Revolutionary Guard urged, adding, "Whether anchored or docked, they will be attacked, so abandon and evacuate your vessels."

Kuwait and Bahrain are Gulf states located along the Persian Gulf coast and host major U.S. military bases in the Middle East.

Bahrain houses the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, while Kuwait hosts a forward operating base for the U.S. Air Force, serving as staging grounds for a potential war with Iran.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), operated by the British Navy, reported that an incident involving a merchant vessel had taken place in the Strait of Hormuz.

Specific details of the incident have not yet been released.

However, Iran has repeatedly targeted ships that fail to navigate according to its conditions, claiming control over the Strait of Hormuz.

This series of military actions by Iran came as retaliation immediately following the U.S. military's bombing of an Iranian oil tanker.

The U.S. military announced in a statement on the 8th (early morning of the 9th, Iranian time) that it had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in response to the IRGC's attacks on U.S. warships.

The U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, explained that this action was in retaliation for Iran launching two ballistic missile attacks against U.S. warships over the past two days.

U.S. President Donald Trump recently shifted strategy, moving away from all-out military operations toward tightening economic hardship on Iran through maritime blockades and intensified sanctions.

In the process of choking off Iran's economic lifeline of crude oil exports, the Trump administration has been responding in an "eye for an eye" manner whenever Iran takes military action.

Amid a collapsed negotiation framework, this continuing cycle of retaliation shows no signs of easing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
 
(Photo: Capture from U.S. Central Command website video, Yonhap News)