Jordan intercepts 3 Iranian missiles; Kuwait reports strike on power and water plant
Amman, July 19
Jordan's military intercepted three of four Iranian missiles on Sunday, while the fourth fell in a remote area in the country's south without causing casualties or damage, Al Jazeera reported, citing Jordan's state news agency. Warning sirens also sounded in the capital, Amman, as regional tensions continued following Iranian attacks across the Gulf.
The developments came after the US Embassy in Amman issued a security alert advising American citizens to avoid the airport and seaport in Aqaba because of "a specific and credible threat."
"We strongly advise all Americans to refrain from travelling to either the airport or seaport. Continue to follow all Jordanian authorities' security directives," the US embassy said in a statement on social media.
The embassy added, "US Embassy Amman continues to advise all Americans to avoid travel to military bases in Jordan."
However, Al Jazeera reported that Jordanian authorities said no evacuation orders had been issued for Aqaba's airport or seaport and that both facilities were operating normally.
Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani said, "No potential threats have been recorded by the relevant Jordanian authorities in the past few hours," adding that Jordanian authorities "have not issued any evacuation orders" for the airport or seaport in Aqaba.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that Kuwaiti authorities said a power generation and water desalination plant was attacked by Iran for the second time in two days, causing a fire in parts of the facility.
"As a result of the heinous Iranian aggression on Kuwait, a power and water distillation plant - for the second time in two days - has been subjected to an attack that caused a fire in some facilities of the station," Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said in a post on X.
The ministry said firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze. In a separate statement, it said the fire affected a large number of electricity generation units at the facility.
According to Al Jazeera, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah visited injured citizens at Al-Adan Hospital, accompanied by Health Minister Ahmad Abdulwahab al-Awadhi. A government statement said the prime minister "checked on their health" and assessed the level of medical care being provided.
The statement added that the prime minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to monitoring the condition of the wounded as Iranian missile and drone attacks on Kuwait continued.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Jordan's intercepting missiles while Kuwait's infrastructure burns—this is a mess. The US embassy warnings don't help; they just fuel panic. As someone with family in the Gulf, I'm worried. India should push for de-escalation at the UN instead of staying silent.
Jordan is doing a commendable job defending itself, but why is the US only looking out for its citizens? The locals in Aqaba must be terrified. Iran's attack on Kuwait's desalination plant is a war crime—affects water supply for millions. India must raise this in international forums. 🇮🇳
It's heartbreaking to see Kuwait's power and water plant hit for the second time. Civilians suffer the most in these conflicts. The Jordanian government's calm response is wise—no need for panic. But India must ensure our 9 million diaspora in the Gulf are safe. 🙏
The US embassy's advice to avoid Aqaba airport seems prudent, but Jordan downplaying the threat is interesting. Maybe they don't want to spook tourists. Iran is playing a dangerous game—attacking power plants is not just military aggression, it's a humanitarian crisis. Sad times. 😡
I'm surprised Jordan only intercepted 3 of 4 missiles—that's a 75% success rate, which is actually impressive. But the one that got through could have been catastrophic. Kuwait's situation is dire; hitting a desalination plant means water shortages. India should offer aid if needed.
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