Jordan's army says shot down 5 Iranian missiles

AMMAN (AFP) -- Jordan’s military said Thursday that its air defences shot down five Iranian missiles targeting its territory, adding the attack caused no casualties.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later confirmed launching an attack on Jordan’s Al Azraq air base, saying they targeted US aircraft there.

The military’s official spokesperson said “air defences engaged five missiles launched from Iran targeting the Kingdom’s territory early this morning, Thursday. The missiles were detected, intercepted, and shot down according to established defense plans,” the military’s statement said.

In a statement, Iran’s Guards said the US “used the occupied bases in your country (Jordan) to launch an air strike with bunker-buster bombs on two residential houses, targeting two modest homes belonging to local residents on Qeshm Island”.

The US attack had killed a father, mother and a child, and wounded two other children, according to the Guards.

After a days-long lull in fighting, Iran and the United States resumed overnight exchanges of fire, with the US saying it had carried out “heavy” strikes in Iran in retaliation for attacks on Jordan.

The pause in fighting had been aimed at reviving negotiations between the foes, and Pakistani mediators maintained on Thursday that diplomatic efforts at de-escalation were ongoing.