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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired 10 ballistic missiles at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on July 9, a facility that doubles as a hub for US military operations in the region. Jordanian air defenses intercepted 8 of the 10 incoming projectiles, with local authorities reporting no casualties and no significant damage.
Three days later, on July 12, Jordan intercepted another wave of Iranian missiles. Three of those landed on Jordanian soil, causing what officials described as minor material losses.
A campaign, not an incident
These strikes are part of a broader Iranian campaign that ramped up earlier in 2026, with February and March seeing 119 missiles and drones launched toward Jordanian airspace over a single week.
Tehran has tried to thread an almost impossibly fine needle with its messaging. Iran’s public communications have explicitly framed these strikes as targeting US military assets stationed in Jordan, not Jordanian sovereignty itself. The IRGC has even issued direct appeals to the Jordanian people, essentially arguing that their quarrel is with Washington, not Amman.
Why Jordan matters
Jordan shares borders with Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. The country has long served as a reliable US partner, hosting American forces and providing a buffer of relative stability in the region.
The Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, located in the eastern desert, has been a key node in US military operations across the region for years. Targeting it puts Iran in direct confrontation not just with Jordan’s military but with the broader US defense posture in the Middle East.
Earlier agreements aimed at de-escalation between Iran and the US have increasingly shown cracks. Jordan’s military response has been competent. An 80% interception rate on the July 9 barrage is no small feat, and the fact that subsequent strikes caused only minor damage suggests defensive systems are holding.
What this means for crypto and risk assets
During the 2024 Iran-Israel tensions, Bitcoin experienced notable volatility as traders priced in geopolitical risk.
What’s notable about the current moment is how muted the crypto-specific conversation has been around these strikes, with coverage around this incident notably omitting references to cryptocurrency or digital assets.
Traders should also keep an eye on stablecoin volumes in the Middle East and North Africa region. Previous rounds of regional instability have correlated with increased stablecoin adoption as populations in conflict-adjacent countries seek dollar-denominated assets outside traditional banking channels.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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