Iran has launched ballistic missile strikes against US military bases in Jordan in retaliation for an American attack on Iranian rocket launchers in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state television reported on Monday.
The latest exchange marks a fresh escalation in the conflict, coming after US forces carried out their first known military action against Iran in more than a month.
Iranian state television broadcast footage it said showed ballistic missiles being launched towards American military facilities in Jordan.
The attacks followed US strikes on Iranian rocket launchers in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington said the targets were linked to preparations by Iranian forces to launch rockets and sea mines into the strategic waterway.
US Central Command said Iranian forces had been observed preparing to deploy rockets equipped with sea mines in the strait.
The US military said it had completed the clearance of sea mines from the international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz last week.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said its air force intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters on Monday, adding another dimension to the growing regional tensions.
The latest confrontation comes only days after the administration of US President Donald Trump indicated that it would prioritise economic pressure rather than further military action in an effort to end the war.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical flashpoint in the conflict because of its importance to global energy supplies and international shipping.
The renewed military exchanges have heightened concerns that the conflict could widen across the Middle East and further disrupt commercial shipping and energy markets.
