IRGC ballistic missile attack struck American drone hangars at Prince Hassan air base in Jordan early Wednesday, destroying several unmanned aircraft and killing pilots and flight crew, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said. The strike targeted shelters housing RQ-4 and MQ-9 drones, according to a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency.
The IRGC Public Relations Department described the operation as a “heavy attack” using ballistic missiles. Moreover, the statement said several pieces of technical infrastructure at the base caught fire. Tehran framed the assault as retaliation for US strikes on the southern Iranian provinces of Hormozgan and Sistan and Balouchestan.
Separately, Al Mayadeen reported that two US service members were killed and one remained missing after the Iranian attack in Jordan. However, the exact casualty toll could not be independently reconciled with the IRGC’s claims at the time of writing.
The strike marks a significant escalation in a months-long exchange of fire between Washington and Tehran. Previously, Iran had already claimed a July strike on a separate US facility in Jordan. Consequently, the Hashemite kingdom now sits squarely in the crossfire of a widening regional confrontation.
Prince Hassan Air Base Targeted
According to Tasnim, the IRGC selected the drone hangars at Prince Hassan base as its primary objective. The base reportedly housed RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude surveillance aircraft and MQ-9 Reaper hunter-killer drones. Both platforms form the backbone of American intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations across the Middle East.
The IRGC statement claimed the missiles “destroyed a number of drones” inside their shelters. In addition, the Guards said the attack “killed a number of pilots and flight crew” working at the facility. Drone pilots and sensor operators typically work from ground control stations, which makes them vulnerable when co-located with the aircraft.
Furthermore, the Guards said several technical installations at the base were “set on fire.” The statement did not specify which systems were affected. Nevertheless, damage to communications or satellite links would disrupt drone operations well beyond the destroyed airframes themselves.
Retaliation for Strikes on Southern Iran
The IRGC tied the operation directly to recent American military action against Iranian territory. Specifically, the Guards cited US strikes on Hormozgan and Sistan and Balouchestan provinces. Those attacks, the statement said, led to “the martyrdom and injury of a number of innocent people.”
As reported by Anadolu Agency, the IRGC said several fighters and civilians were killed and injured in the US strikes. The Guards had vowed to respond before launching the missile attack. Anadolu also noted that Iranian claims of striking two US airbases in Jordan relied on Tasnim’s reporting.
Earlier reporting by Iran International had described a separate US strike in Hormozgan province. Local officials told the outlet that at least three people died in that attack, which hit an environmental protection post. Therefore, Iranian anger over civilian casualties in the south has been building for weeks.
Al Mayadeen additionally claimed that flight navigation data showed a US drone attack on Iran’s Larak Island originated from Jordan. Larak sits in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that has seen repeated clashes. UAS Daily previously reported on US strikes against Iranian targets following a drone attack on a commercial ship in the strait.
Second Claimed Strike on Jordan in Two Months
Wednesday’s attack follows an earlier IRGC claim against American forces in Jordan. In July, the Guards’ Aerospace Force said it hit the US base at Azraq. According to Iran International, the IRGC claimed it “destroyed shelters for F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighter jets as well as several MQ-9 drones.”
That July operation formed part of the sixth wave of what the IRGC called its “Nasr 2” campaign. The Guards described the campaign as a response to US strikes against Iran. Consequently, the Prince Hassan strike appears to continue an established pattern rather than represent an isolated event.
Jordan has hosted American military personnel for years under bilateral defense arrangements. However, the kingdom has repeatedly found itself targeted because of that presence. In January 2024, a drone attack on the Tower 22 outpost in northeastern Jordan killed three US soldiers and injured 47 others, according to Wikipedia.
That earlier attack was attributed to Iraqi militia groups, including Ansar Allah al-Awfiya and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. By contrast, Wednesday’s strike came directly from the IRGC using ballistic missiles. The shift from proxy drones to state ballistic missiles signals a marked change in Tehran’s approach.
Iran Appeals to Jordanian Public
Beyond the military dimension, the IRGC statement carried a pointed political message. The Guards addressed what they called “the noble people of Jordan.” Moreover, they described the kingdom as “the holy place of the prophets of God.”
Jordan, the statement continued, “should not remain the place of the sons of Satan.” Tasnim reported that the phrase referred to US forces stationed in the country. The language echoes the July statement, in which the IRGC urged Jordanians to “seek the removal of American military forces from Jordan.”
Such appeals suggest Tehran is pursuing a dual strategy. On one hand, it seeks to degrade US drone and air capabilities through direct strikes. On the other hand, it aims to raise the domestic political cost for Amman of hosting those forces.
Drone Fleet Losses and Regional Implications
If confirmed, the destruction of RQ-4 and MQ-9 aircraft would represent a costly blow to US surveillance capacity. The RQ-4 Global Hawk provides long-endurance, high-altitude imagery and signals intelligence. Meanwhile, the MQ-9 Reaper conducts armed reconnaissance and precision strikes across the region.
Iran has increasingly focused on US unmanned assets in recent months. UAS Daily reported earlier on Iranian drone tactics used against American aircraft. Similarly, analysts have documented Tehran’s evolving “jellyfish” drone formation as part of its broader war technology.
The loss of ground crews would compound the material damage. Trained drone pilots and sensor operators take years to develop. Therefore, casualties among flight crew could constrain US operations more than the loss of the airframes alone.
Washington has not, in the sources reviewed, released a detailed account of the damage at Prince Hassan. Independent verification of Iranian claims remains difficult given restricted access to the base. Nonetheless, Al Mayadeen’s report of two dead and one missing suggests American casualties did occur.
Escalation Cycle Shows No Sign of Slowing
The exchange of strikes between Iran and the United States has now spanned several months. Each side frames its actions as retaliation for the other’s aggression. As a result, the cycle has expanded from the Strait of Hormuz to Iranian provinces and now to Jordanian territory.
Regional states hosting US forces face growing exposure. Jordan, in particular, has absorbed two claimed IRGC strikes since July. Additionally, the kingdom continues to bear the memory of the 2024 Tower 22 attack, which Wikipedia notes was the first time enemy fire killed US troops since the start of the Gaza war.
The defense implications extend beyond the immediate theater. Unmanned systems now sit at the center of modern conflict, as UAS Daily has examined in its coverage of drone swarm technology and FPV drones. Consequently, strikes on drone infrastructure carry outsized strategic weight.
Further developments are expected as both governments respond to Wednesday’s attack. The IRGC has demonstrated willingness to strike US bases with ballistic missiles rather than rely solely on proxies. Whether Washington retaliates against Iranian territory again will likely determine the trajectory of the coming weeks.
