JERUSALEM — Israeli air defense systems intercepted fragments from an Iranian ballistic missile near the southern city of Eilat after the missile was fired toward Jordan, the Israeli military said on Sunday, as regional tensions remained elevated following renewed cross-border attacks.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the missile's main warhead had been intercepted by a U.S. air defense system before entering Israeli airspace. Israeli Iron Dome batteries were then activated to destroy falling fragments that posed a potential risk near Eilat, according to the military.
The IDF said interceptor debris fell in an open area near Eilat and that no injuries or damage were reported. The military added that no warning sirens were activated because the city itself was not assessed to be under direct threat and that there were no changes to civilian safety guidelines.
Jordan's armed forces separately said their air defense systems intercepted three of four Iranian missiles aimed at the kingdom. A fourth missile landed in an uninhabited area in southern Jordan, with no casualties or property damage reported, according to the Jordan Armed Forces.
Jordan said Royal Engineering Corps teams were deployed to secure the impact site and safely dispose of missile debris. Military officials said the armed forces remained on high alert and continued to monitor the country's airspace for additional threats.
The interceptions came amid a broader escalation involving Iran, Israel, the United States and several regional states. Iranian missile attacks in recent days have targeted military facilities and strategic locations in Jordan and elsewhere, prompting repeated air defense operations by Jordanian, U.S. and Israeli forces, according to official statements.
Neither Israeli nor Jordanian authorities reported civilian casualties from Sunday's incident. The Israeli military did not indicate that any Iranian missile had been intended to strike Israeli territory directly during the episode, describing its actions as a response to hazardous missile fragments following the initial interception.
Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on the specific incident involving the missile fragments near Eilat.
The latest interceptions underscore the increasingly integrated regional missile defense efforts involving Israel, Jordan and the United States as the wider conflict continues. Officials in both Israel and Jordan said their forces remain on heightened alert while monitoring further developments.
