How Iran's campaign against US bases is forging a new Gulf defense network

TEHRAN — A sharp exchange between Iran and Jordan has underscored growing regional anxiety as Tehran insists its operations target only US military sites. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back Friday against his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, who dismissed Tehran’s claim of direct retaliation, noting that strikes hitting Jordan and neighboring states within hours of initial U.S. action transcend mere self-defense.

“How much longer does the Jordanian foreign minister believe that Iran should wait before responding to an aggressor that respects neither the sovereignty of Arab countries, nor that of Iran?” Araghchi asked in an Arabic post on X.

Araghchi then challenged Safadi’s premise more directly: “Is he truly unaware that airspace, territory and waters of Arab countries were used in the initial American attacks that resulted in the killing of innocent Iranians?”