from AZADEH AKBAR on Tehran, Iran
Special contributor
TEHRAN, (CAJ News) – IRAN has launched retaliatory strikes against US military positions in the Middle East after a fresh wave of American attacks on Iranian territory, marking another dangerous escalation in a conflict increasingly carrying economic and political costs far beyond the battlefield.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted US military facilities in Jordan, including Camp Titin near Aqaba, following American strikes in Iran.
Iranian military authorities described the operation as retaliation for what they called US aggression.
Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff and Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters vowed a “crushing” response to the latest US attacks, warning that continued American military action would bring heavier losses.
Iranian claims of extensive damage and US casualties at Camp Titin have not been independently verified.
Jordan, meanwhile, said it intercepted 10 of 13 missiles entering its airspace, with the remaining missiles landing in uninhabited areas, while a US official said there were no injuries or significant damage at Camp Titin.
The escalation comes after US strikes on Iranian targets and amid the collapse of a fragile diplomatic process.
Critics of Washington’s approach argue that military pressure risks narrowing the space for negotiations, while President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran against retaliating.
The economic consequences are already substantial. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil and LNG previously travelled, has experienced severe disruption.
Oil prices rose again on Wednesday, with Brent settling at $95.63 a barrel, as traders assessed the risk of prolonged supply interruptions.
For households and businesses, sustained conflict threatens to translate into higher fuel, transport and food costs, increased insurance premiums and disrupted trade. Developing economies dependent on imported energy could face particularly acute pressure.
Iran is also suffering severe economic damage. Reuters reported that Iranian crude loadings had fallen dramatically amid the US naval blockade, depriving Tehran of vital foreign-currency revenue and increasing inflationary pressures.
Politically, the confrontation risks hardening positions on both sides, weakening diplomatic channels and drawing neighbouring countries deeper into the conflict.
Socially, prolonged fighting brings civilian casualties, displacement, anxiety and disruption to livelihoods.
Iran’s supporters portray its military response as defence against external aggression.
Washington argues its operations are necessary to counter threats from Tehran.
What is increasingly difficult to dispute, however, is that continued escalation is imposing costs across the region and beyond.
The alternative remains diplomacy: negotiations capable of addressing security concerns without further widening a conflict whose economic and human consequences are becoming harder to contain.
– CAJ News