Trump Vows Retaliation After Iran Fires Missiles at US Forces in Jordan

September 1, 2026

Washington: US President Donald Trump has vowed to retaliate against Iran after Tehran launched ballistic missiles at US military positions in Jordan, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran following a US strike on Iranian launchers on Larak Island.

“We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump told Fox News in a phone interview on Monday. “There will be a response.”

The exchange marked the first direct flare-up between US and Iranian forces in more than a month. Iran said its attack was carried out in response to the US strike on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Jordan Intercepts Eight Iranian Missiles

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted two US-linked air bases in Jordan — King Hussein and Al-Azraq — with ballistic missiles as part of a retaliatory operation.

The IRGC claimed the strikes targeted technical and maintenance infrastructure and areas where US fighter jets were stationed, and said they caused heavy damage.

However, Jordan’s armed forces said its air defences intercepted eight missiles that entered the country’s airspace. The missiles were destroyed before they could pose a threat to civilians or property, according to the Jordanian military. US officials also said there were no significant impacts at the US bases.

Trump said US forces had allowed one Iranian missile to pass through their air defences after determining that it would not hit anything, while other incoming missiles were intercepted.

US Strikes Iranian Launchers on Larak Island

The Iranian attack came hours after US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command said the operation was a “limited, precise action” against Iranian minelaying forces that posed what it described as an imminent threat to commercial shipping and the free flow of global commerce through the strategic waterway.

Washington said the launchers were being prepared for operations involving sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a key international shipping route.

Iranian authorities said the US attack killed and wounded military personnel and civilians and vowed retaliation. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing unofficial reports, said at least two people were killed and two others injured in what it described as a US drone attack on Larak Island. The casualty figures have not been independently verified.

Trump Leaves Door Open for Talks

Despite threatening military retaliation, Trump said there was still a possibility of negotiations with Tehran.

“They want to meet so badly,” Trump said, while adding that he was uncertain whether Iran could be relied upon to reach a deal.

Trump also said US sanctions on Iran were beginning to have a strong impact.

The renewed military exchanges come as Washington continues to apply economic pressure on Tehran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Iran is not seeking war but would not remain passive in the face of what it considers aggression.

The latest escalation has raised fresh concerns over security in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies, as the US and Iran trade threats and military strikes.