IDF intercepts missile fragments after Iran attacks southern Jordan

The Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday that its air defenses aided in intercepting ballistic missile fragments after Iran attacked the Jordanian city of Aqaba.

“The IDF aided in the interception of debris,” a military spokesperson confirmed to JNS. No air-raid sirens were activated in Israel.

Flights to and from Ramon Airport near the southern resort city of Eilat were briefly suspended during the interceptions, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported. A Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport reportedly turned back amid the attack.

In an earlier statement, the IDF had warned that the projectiles’ impacts could spill over into Israeli territory. It said air-raid sirens might sound in southern Israel as a precautionary measure.

“If a siren is sounded, the public is instructed to enter a protected space and remain there until further notice,” the IDF stated.

The military said there was no immediate change to Home Front Command guidelines, adding that the public would be updated if instructions changed following a situational assessment.

The IDF statement came shortly after the U.S. embassy in Amman urged Americans to avoid the port of Aqaba and the nearby airport, saying Jordanian authorities evacuated both facilities because of a “specific and credible threat.”

“We strongly advise all Americans to refrain traveling to either the airport or seaport,” the embassy said in a security alert.

Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammad Momani told the state-run Petra News Agency that “the relevant Jordanian authorities have not recorded any potential threats during the past several hours.

“Aqaba airport and the seaport are operating normally,” he added.

The U.S. warning followed Iranian missile and drone attacks on military facilities in Jordan on Friday that killed two U.S. service members. A third service member remains missing.