Khaled Yousef and Rania Abushamala
19 July 2026•Update: 19 July 2026
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday threatened retaliation if Iran attacks his country, following Iranian missile launches toward the southern Jordanian city of Aqaba.
"If Iran attacks Israel, we will respond and strike back, regardless of any other factor and without any conditions," Katz said during a visit to ZAKA, an emergency rescue organization in Tel Aviv, according to Israel's Channel 12.
"The first thing we will do there is target the missile launchers," he added.
His remarks came after debris from missiles launched by Iran toward Aqaba reportedly fell in the area.
Earlier Sunday, the Jordanian army said it intercepted three of four Iranian missiles launched toward the kingdom. The fourth fell in a remote area in southern Jordan, causing no casualties or damage.
Israeli media reported explosions in Aqaba and the nearby Israeli city of Eilat as a result of aerial interception operations.
The Israeli army claimed it detected missiles launched from Iran toward Aqaba and warned that some projectiles or debris could fall inside Israel.
In a later statement, the Israeli army said it launched several interceptor missiles toward the debris of an intercepted missile after sirens were activated in Jordan, according to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
Channel 12 reported that flight operations at Ramon Airport near Eilat were affected.
Israel's Channel 13 reported that US aerial refueling aircraft had been evacuated from the airport following the attack, without providing further details.
