The New York Times reports that Jordan has become the primary target of Iranian attacks in the current round of hostilities, after several Gulf states reduced the American military presence on their soil. According to the report, the US military also suffered heavy damage to its Black Hawk helicopter fleet at a base in eastern Jordan, in addition to casualties.
The New York Times reports that Jordan has become the primary focus of Iranian attacks in the current round of hostilities, a shift attributed to the reduction of the American military presence in several Gulf states. According to the report, the US military suffered heavy damage to its Black Hawk helicopter fleet at a base in eastern Jordan, in addition to casualties. This provides a strategic context for the attacks that have been unfolding since Saturday, when initial reports emerged of dozens of American soldiers wounded and helicopters damaged at a base in Jordan, as The Zioneer reported at 01:34 Jerusalem on Saturday.
The thread of reporting on the Jordan base attack has evolved rapidly. Early Saturday, unverified reports indicated dozens of US soldiers wounded and helicopters damaged. Later, casualty figures were refined: two soldiers killed, one missing, and several wounded, with footage of the strike emerging. The US Army confirmed two fatalities. The Wall Street Journal reported that both manned and unmanned aircraft were hit at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. Earlier today, The Zioneer reported on the Black Hawk damage, citing the same NYT report that is now providing the strategic rationale.
The NYT report aligns with prior reporting that the US is considering reducing its military footprint in the Gulf and moving assets to Israel, as The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, June 26. A senior Iranian official told the WSJ that Tehran's attacks on American bases in the Gulf forced the Pentagon to reconsider its force posture. The broader context of the confrontation includes US strikes on Iranian targets and Iranian retaliation against US positions in the region, as The Zioneer has previously reported.
Details of the NYT report have not been independently verified. Official casualty figures and damage assessments for the base in Jordan have not been released. The extent of the helicopter damage and the precise strategic shift described remain unconfirmed by the Pentagon.
22 developments
- DevelopingNYT: Iran damaged large number of US Black Hawk helicopters in Jordan
- DevelopingWSJ: US considers reducing Gulf presence, moving assets to Israel after Iranian strikes
- DevelopingOpen-source reports suggest Iran missiles hit Jordan this morning, avoided interceptors
- StrongNew York Times: US struck over 170 military targets in Iran over past two days
Source and signal
- Internal intake