A joint operation between Israeli and Jordanian forces stopped an Iranian missile heading toward Aqaba on Sunday, according to the Israeli military. The interception came after Jordan's government pushed back against claims that the city's airport and seaport had been shut down due to security threats.
Minutes before the missile was downed, the Israeli military detected projectiles launched from Iran targeting Aqaba and warned of potential spillover into Israeli territory. Jordanian forces said they destroyed three Iranian missiles aimed at the kingdom, with a fourth landing in an unpopulated zone.
Air raid sirens sounded across Amman and other Jordanian cities following the launches. The Israeli military then fired additional interceptors at missile fragments to keep debris from falling within Israeli borders.
"Interceptor fragments landed in an open area near Eilat," the Israeli military said in a statement. "No casualties or property damage were recorded."
Jordan's government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani rejected reports that officials had ordered Aqaba's airport and seaport closed. He told reporters that "no evacuation orders were issued for either facility and both continue operating normally."
The US embassy had earlier announced the facilities had been evacuated due to a "credible threat," contradicting the Jordanian official's account. The American military revealed this week that two service members died and another went missing after Iran's barrage of strikes on Friday—marking the first US combat deaths since renewed tensions flared this month.
Jordan has said multiple times in recent days that it successfully repelled Iranian attacks directed at the country. The Sunday interception marked another instance of the kingdom's defence forces engaging Iranian projectiles, as regional tensions continue to escalate.
