The US Iran War has entered another dangerous phase after an Iranian missile attack reportedly damaged several American military aircraft at a major US-operated air base in Jordan.

One A-10 Thunderbolt II, commonly known as the “Warthog”, suffered severe damage and was reportedly left with a missing wing, while around eight F-15 fighter jets sustained lighter damage during the attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The F-15s were later returned to service, according to CBS reporting cited by Reuters.

The strike followed a sharp escalation at sea, where the United States destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after accusing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of launching ballistic missiles at a US Navy warship. Iran then responded with attacks against US-linked targets across the region, including the air base in Jordan. For Washington, the damage is significant not because eight fighter jets were lost — they were not — but because Iran managed to hit military assets at one of America's most important regional air hubs despite extensive air defences.

Iran Attacks US Base in Jordan: What Happened?

Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles towards Jordan during the overnight attack on September 8-9. Jordan's Armed Forces officially said its air-defence systems engaged 20 ballistic missiles launched from Iranian territory. Eighteen were intercepted and destroyed, while two landed in unpopulated areas.

Jordan reported no casualties. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps separately said it had targeted a US military base in Jordan as part of its retaliation against recent American military operations. Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, located near Azraq, hosts American forces and has become an important hub for US air operations in the Middle East. The attack came amid increasingly intense exchanges between Tehran and Washington, including strikes against ships, oil tankers and military facilities.

US Planes Damaged: What Do We Know?

The most striking reports concern the American aircraft on the ground. CBS correspondent Jennifer Jacobs reported, citing sources familiar with the incident, that one A-10 Thunderbolt II was hit hard enough to lose a wing. Around eight F-15s also suffered damage. However, their damage was described as light, and they were subsequently returned to operational service. Air & Space Forces Magazine separately reported that the affected jets were F-15E Strike Eagles and described the A-10's wing damage as severe.

The publication said US Central Command did not immediately respond to its request for comment. That is an important caveat. As of the initial reports, the Pentagon had not publicly released its own detailed damage assessment identifying every aircraft affected. So the safest wording is that the US Planes Damaged figures have been reported by credible media citing informed sources rather than formally announced in a detailed Pentagon statement.

Were Eight US Fighter Jets Destroyed?

No. Social-media posts describing eight American fighters as destroyed exaggerate what has been reported. The approximately eight F-15s sustained minor or light damage and were reportedly returned to service. The A-10 appears to have suffered substantially worse damage. Whether that aircraft can eventually be repaired, will be written off, or has already been declared a total loss has not yet been publicly confirmed by the US military.

That difference matters because “damaged” and “destroyed” have very different meanings in military reporting. A fighter can take shrapnel or blast damage, undergo inspection and repairs, and return to flying without representing a permanent aircraft loss.

More Than 30 Patriot Missiles Reportedly Fired

Another striking detail concerns the scale of the American defensive response. CBS reporting cited by NDTV said US forces in Jordan launched more than 30 Patriot missiles while defending against the Iranian attack. Jordan separately said its own air-defence network successfully intercepted 18 of the 20 ballistic missiles headed towards its territory. The combined reporting shows how heavily defended the area was. Yet at least some incoming weapons or debris appear to have caused enough damage to affect American aircraft at the air base.

That raises questions about how Iran managed to penetrate or partially overwhelm the layered defences surrounding such an important military installation. A detailed US military assessment will be needed before conclusions can be drawn about how individual aircraft were hit.

Why Muwaffaq Salti Air Base Matters

Muwaffaq Salti is not simply another regional airport. The base has become an important operating location for American forces in Jordan and supports US airpower across the region.

Air & Space Forces Magazine described it as a key hub for operations against Iran, with dozens of US military aircraft operating from the installation. Jordan itself is one of Washington's closest Arab security partners.

The United States has forces spread across multiple installations in the country, making Jordan strategically valuable but also increasingly exposed as the confrontation with Tehran expands. That is why an Iranian ballistic missile attack capable of damaging US aircraft there carries significance beyond the cost of repairing individual planes. It demonstrates that bases used by American forces across neighbouring states remain within range of Iranian weapons.

Why Did Iran Launch the Attack?

The latest round of escalation began at sea. The US military said it destroyed five Iranian crude-oil tankers on September 8 after the IRGC had twice attempted to strike an American Navy warship with ballistic missiles. According to US officials, the warship successfully avoided the Iranian missiles and no American personnel were injured. Iran then retaliated.

The IRGC claimed attacks against US-linked targets including ships and the military base in Jordan.

Iran also claimed it had attacked eight tankers and two US vessels around the Strait of Hormuz, though Washington disputed some of Tehran's claims about damage to American ships.

The Jordan strike therefore forms part of a much broader cycle: Iran attacks US-linked military targets → Washington retaliates → Tehran launches another response. That cycle is becoming one of the biggest dangers in the ongoing conflict.

US Iran War Is Expanding Beyond Iran

The latest attack also illustrates how the US Iran War increasingly affects countries outside the two principal combatants. Jordan was directly targeted. Shipping around the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted. Iran and the US have exchanged attacks on tankers. Iran-aligned Houthis have intensified strikes against Saudi targets. And concerns over Gulf energy supplies have pushed oil prices sharply higher. Brent crude moved above $100 per barrel amid the latest escalation, increasing inflation worries across oil-importing economies. That makes the conflict increasingly important for India as well.

What Does the Escalation Mean for India?

India imports most of the crude oil it consumes, making sustained Gulf instability an economic risk even when India is not directly involved militarily. The latest jump in crude prices has already contributed to pressure on Indian financial markets. On September 9, the Sensex fell more than 800 points and the Nifty dropped over 200 points as crude moved above $100 and investors worried about inflation and the rupee. A prolonged disruption around the Strait of Hormuz could potentially affect:

• India's crude-import bill
• Petrol and diesel costs
• Inflation
• The rupee
• Airline fuel expenses
• Fertiliser and petrochemical costs
• Indian stock-market sentiment

This is why each new exchange between Tehran and Washington is being closely watched well beyond the Middle East.

How Serious Is the Damage to US Air Power?

Operationally, the immediate impact appears limited. Around eight F-15s were reportedly returned to service, meaning the attack did not remove a large group of fighter aircraft from US operations. The A-10 suffered much more substantial damage. But strategically, the attack sends a different message. Iran demonstrated that a heavily defended base housing American aircraft could still sustain damage during a large missile barrage. For Tehran, that offers a propaganda victory.

For Washington, it creates another air-defence and force-protection problem: how to protect aircraft, personnel and infrastructure across a wide network of regional bases without exhausting expensive interceptor stocks. The report that more than 30 Patriot interceptors were fired during a single attack makes that question even more important.

What Happens Next?

Several key facts remain unanswered. The US military has yet to publicly provide a comprehensive aircraft-by-aircraft damage assessment. It is also unclear exactly how the A-10 was hit, whether a ballistic missile directly struck the aircraft or whether blast effects and debris caused the damage. Washington will also have to decide whether the attack triggers another military response. Iran has already warned that retaliatory operations will continue if American attacks continue. That creates a clear risk of another round of escalation.

For now, what can be stated with confidence is that Iran launched a major ballistic missile attack towards Jordan, Jordan says 18 of 20 missiles were intercepted, and credible US media reports say one A-10 and around eight F-15s were damaged at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The F-15s reportedly returned to service. The A-10 did not escape so lightly. And as Iran Attacks US military assets beyond Iran's borders, the confrontation is becoming increasingly difficult to contain.

That is the bigger significance of the latest US Iran War development: it is no longer only about strikes inside Iran or confrontations at sea. American bases, aircraft and allies across the region are now directly exposed to the escalating cycle of retaliation.