Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Tuesday that it fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. air base located in Jordan, while simultaneously urging Jordanian citizens to push for the removal of American military installations from their country.
In a statement distributed through Fars News, the IRGC addressed the Jordanian people directly: “You know very well that not only do we not have any enmity with your country, but we also love you, the noble people, who understand the pain and oppression of the Palestinian people more than any other nation.”
Jordan’s military responded to the attack, announcing Tuesday that its forces intercepted and destroyed four missiles that crossed into Jordanian airspace from Iranian territory, according to the country’s state news agency.
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command completed its latest round of strikes against Iran — a campaign carried out under orders from President Donald Trump. The five-hour assault marked the third straight night of American attacks on the country.
As the strikes unfolded, Trump moved to reinstate a naval blockade on Iranian shipping and floated the idea of charging a 20% fee on all cargo traveling through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global waterway. Iranian media reported that several cities were hit during the U.S. strikes, with four people wounded and rescue teams deployed to affected areas.
Speaking on the “Hugh Hewitt Show” earlier Monday, Trump made clear his intentions: “Very hard tonight, and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow. And there’s not a damn thing they can do about it.”
The renewed hostilities follow Iran’s weekend announcement that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, a move that rattled global energy markets and cast doubt on any interim agreement to pause the ongoing conflict.
Trump had posted on Truth Social earlier Monday: “The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE.” He added: “The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT’, but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped.”
Iran’s senior military command pushed back, saying the U.S. has no authority over the waterway’s future. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi took to X to assert that Tehran is — and will remain — the strait’s true guardian, sarcastically responding to Trump’s proposed fee: “20% is of course too much. We will be fair.”
Before the conflict erupted in February, roughly one-fifth of the world’s daily oil and gas traffic moved through the Strait of Hormuz — more than 15 million barrels of fuel worth at least $1.2 billion every day. A 20% levy on that cargo could bring in approximately $240 million daily.
The United Nations shipping agency came out against Trump’s toll proposal, stating it opposes fees on internationally navigated straits and noting there is no legal foundation for imposing mandatory charges on vessels passing through.
Oil prices climbed nearly 3% on Tuesday, reaching their highest point in four weeks, driven by the reimposed U.S. naval blockade and growing fears about disruptions to global energy flows through the strait.
The UAE Ministry of Defense reported Monday that Iranian cruise missiles struck two Emirati oil tankers as they traveled through the southern lane of the strait in Omani territorial waters. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency separately reported that a tanker had been struck by an unidentified projectile approximately 40 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s Qalhat, though it was unclear whether that incident was the same one described by the UAE.
The IRGC claimed it had hit and disabled two “offending” supertankers in the strait after the vessels allegedly ignored repeated warnings and switched off their navigation systems. The IRGC did not identify the ships or confirm whether they matched those mentioned by the UAE. It accused the U.S. of “inciting vessels to use an illegal route” and warned that working with the “aggressor enemy” would result in damage, delays in reopening the waterway, and a potential global energy crisis.
The U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center announced that a blockade of Iran would take effect at 8:00 p.m. GMT Tuesday, applying to all vessel traffic regardless of flag and covering Iran’s entire coastline, including its ports and oil terminals. Officials noted the blockade would not interfere with neutral transit through the strait to non-Iranian destinations, and that humanitarian shipments would be allowed through after inspection.
The current conflict traces back to February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Iran retaliated with strikes on Israel and Gulf states hosting American military bases. The fighting has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of people.
