Amman [Jordan], June 10 (ANI): The Jordanian military on Wednesday announced that its air defence systems had successfully intercepted and destroyed multiple projectiles launched from Iranian territory, neutralising an imminent threat over its eastern region.

According to reports citing the military command, the country's defence units intercepted and shot down five missiles launched from Iran that were targeting the Al-Azraq area in Jordan's Zarqa province.

As Al Jazeera reported on the unfolding regional escalation, the armed forces confirmed that the defensive operations managed to prevent any direct impacts on populated infrastructure. According to the official statement, the mid-air interceptions resulted in falling debris but caused no casualties or property damage.

Following the mid-air engagements, specialised military units were immediately dispatched to the impact zones to secure the crash sites. Military engineering teams have been deployed to secure the missile remnants and clear any potential explosives, it added.

Highlighting the kingdom's strict posture amid heightened regional friction, Al Jazeera noted that Amman remains determined to safeguard its sovereign borders against external threats. The official statement emphasised that Jordan's armed forces are operating at the highest level of readiness and will not tolerate any violations of the country's airspace.

Contrasting Jordan's reports of successful interceptions, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that it targeted and destroyed hangars housing F-35 fighter jets, along with targeting about 21 American air and naval bases, ISNA reported on Wednesday. Citing the IRGC, the Iranian broadcaster said four key locations were hit, including the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and the US Army's command-and-control centre at the Al-Azraq base in Jordan, which it claimed to have completely destroyed.

Expanding the scope of the offensive across the Gulf region, state broadcaster Press TV reported new explosions in Kuwait and Bahrain. In an official statement carried by Iranian media, the IRGC announced that its naval forces launched a specific drone attack on the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington.

According to the Guards, the strike came in response to what they described as US attacks on several locations in southern Iran earlier in the day.

These multi-front hostilities were originally triggered by the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had initiated what it described as 'self-defence strikes' against Iran.

In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM stated, 'US Central Command forces began launching self-defence strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief's direction, in response to yesterday's downing of a US Army Apache helicopter,' characterising the operation as a 'proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression.'

US President Donald Trump had earlier confirmed that an Iranian strike had brought down an Apache helicopter conducting patrol operations over the Strait of Hormuz, noting that both pilots survived the incident without injuries.

Writing on Truth Social, President Trump stated, 'I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz.'

President Trump added, 'There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.'

In response to the American retaliatory strikes, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Washington against maintaining its military footprint in the Gulf region, asserting that Iran would retaliate against any perceived threats.

In a post on X, Foreign Minister Araghchi stated, 'Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination.'

The Iranian Foreign Minister further warned, 'Our Powerful Armed Forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered. Leave our region if you want to be safe. History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on the dire fates of intruding outsiders.'

This direct confrontation unfolds against the backdrop of an intensifying regional conflict involving Iran and Israel, which has recently included strikes on Iranian infrastructure and reported attacks on Israeli military facilities. (ANI)