Video summary
An Iranian missile strike conducted overnight on September 9th at the Al Udeid Air Base in Jordan caused significant damage to nine US Air Force aircraft. While eight F-15 fighter jets sustained only minor damage and were quickly returned to service after inspections, a single A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft suffered severe structural harm when a missile severed its wing. This escalation occurred following a tense exchange of fire where US forces responded to attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a US Navy vessel by striking five Iranian oil tankers, an action Iran later claimed involved eight tankers and two warships alongside the facility in Jordan. Fortunately, no US service members were reported killed in this specific incident, though it marks another chapter in the ongoing conflict that has already claimed lives at the base since July.
The broader context of the conflict reveals a grim toll on US military assets, with official confirmations as of mid-2026 indicating that 14 service members have died during Operation Epic Fury and that at least 42 aircraft have been lost or damaged. The inventory of destroyed or impaired planes includes four F-15E Strike Eagles, one F-35A Lightning II, and the aforementioned A-10 Thunderbolt II, alongside other critical assets such as KC-135 Stratotankers, E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, MC-130J Commando II special mission planes, and an HH-60W Jolly Green rescue helicopter. These losses highlight the intensity of the strikes launched by Iran and its allies, which have targeted both military installations and industrial sites across the region, forcing the US to continuously assess and repair its air capabilities in the Middle East.
Despite these setbacks and massive US strikes on Iranian missile infrastructure at the start of the war, intelligence sources indicate that Iran has resumed production of ballistic missiles using previously accumulated components. Reports from outlets like The Wall Street Journal suggest that Tehran is capable of restarting both liquid-fueled and solid-fuel missile systems, with some facilities remaining in a standby state for extended periods. US intelligence agencies are actively monitoring activity at several underground Iranian sites, including the Kharak missile complex in the southeast, noting that Iran is constructing new hardened assembly sites to reduce vulnerability to future attacks. However, analysts emphasize that current production volumes remain significantly lower than pre-war levels due to sustained Israeli and US strikes on industrial facilities and a naval blockade that has severely hindered the supply of necessary components to Iran.
Read the full video transcript
An Iranian missile strike on a US base
in Jordan damaged nine US Air Force
aircraft. CBS News reported on this.
Around 8 F15 fighter jets sustained
minor damage. After inspections, they
were returned to service. 1A 10
Thunderbolt 2 attack aircraft sustained
significantly more serious damage.
According to CBS news sources, a missile
struck the aircraft and severed its
wing. The strike on Waff Salty Air Base
took place overnight on September 9th,
local time. Iran launched the attack
after US forces hit five Iranian oil
tankers in response to strikes by the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a
US Navy vessel. Later, Iran claimed to
have attacked eight tankers and two
warships as well as US facilities in
Jordan. At the same time, there were no
reports of US service members being
killed in the attack. Iran had
previously carried out strikes on Waffi.
In July, at least two US service members
were killed in an attack on the base. At
the time, according to the command, US
forces together with partner forces
provided air defense and repelled a
massive Iranian attack. As of July 16th,
2026, the United States had officially
confirmed the deaths of 14 service
members during Operation Epic Fury. As
of May 2026, the US had lost or
sustained damage to at least 42
aircraft. Among the losses were 4 F15
Erike Eagles, 1 F 35A Lightning 2, and 1
A 10 Thunderbolt 2. The United States
also lost or damaged 7KC [music]
135 Strato Tanker aerial refueling
aircraft, an E3 Century 8 WNC, 2MC130J
Commando 2 special mission aircraft, and
an HH 60W Jolly Green SAR helicopter.
Recall sources in the US and the Middle
East claim that Iran has resumed
production of ballistic missiles at
underground facilities using previously
accumulated components. The Wall Street
Journal reports this. Sources emphasized
that even after the massive US strikes
on Iranian missile sites and industrial
facilities at the start of the war,
Thran was able to restore production.
This applies to both liquidfueled
missiles which require refueling before
launch and solid fuel systems which can
remain on standby for extended periods.
US intelligence is monitoring activity
at several underground Iranian
facilities, including the Kjar missile
complex in the southeast of the country.
Sources claim that Thrron is also
building new hardened missile assembly
sites, hoping to make them less
vulnerable to possible future strikes.
At the same time, American and regional
sources note that the current production
volumes of new missiles in Iran are
significantly lower than the levels
before the war. The main reasons were
Israeli and US strikes on industrial
facilities involved in the production of
missiles and their components.
Furthermore, the US naval blockade
hindered the supply of necessary
components to Iran.