Jordan's Aqaba as seen from southern Israel [Photo courtesy of EPA-Yonhap News]

The U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, announced on the 19th (local time) that Jordanian authorities had issued an evacuation order for the international airport and port in the Aqaba region, which borders the Red Sea.

Although Jordanian authorities denied the evacuation order, tensions escalated immediately after the embassy's warning as Iranian missiles flew into the area, triggering Israel's air defense systems nearby.

The embassy stated this via X (formerly Twitter), explaining that the move was due to a "specific and credible threat."

The embassy advised, "All U.S. citizens should refrain from traveling to the aforementioned airport or port," and also requested that they avoid visiting military bases within Jordan.

In response, Mohammad Al-Momani, spokesperson for the Jordanian government, stated that "no evacuation order has been issued for the Aqaba airport and port" and that these facilities are operating normally, according to the state-run Petra News Agency.

Spokesperson Al-Momani also drew a line, stating that no potential threats had been detected over the past few hours.

However, shortly thereafter, the Jordanian military announced that of the four missiles Iran fired toward Jordanian territory, three were intercepted by air defense systems, while the remaining one landed in a sparsely populated area in southern Jordan.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued an air raid alert, warning that missiles fired at Aqaba could land in nearby Israeli territory.

The Times of Israel reported that explosions were heard in Eilat, an Israeli port city near Aqaba, when the missiles were intercepted, and that the Israeli military activated its Iron Dome air defense system in response to the attack.

Following the interception, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated, "If Iran fires missiles at Israel, we will strike back with full firepower," according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Minister Katz added, "The U.S. might change its policy, and in that event, we are prepared for both defensive and offensive measures against Iran."

As the recent exchange of hostilities between the U.S. and Iran intensifies, the strength of Iran's retaliatory strikes against U.S. assets in the Middle East is increasing. Concerns over an escalation are growing as the fallout from the conflict reaches Israel, which has been dissatisfied with the ceasefire.

The U.S. Central Command previously announced on the 17th that Iran had attacked the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq, Jordan, with ballistic missiles and drones, resulting in the death of two U.S. service members and the disappearance of another.

The Gulf of Aqaba, surrounded by Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, connects to the Red Sea. Recently, there has been speculation that Iran may be mobilizing Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea region.

The U.S. Department of State previously recommended on March 2nd that U.S. government employees and their families stationed in Jordan evacuate the country.