US strikes Iranian rocket launchers in Strait of Hormuz, IRGC threatens retaliation
US forces have struck Iranian rocket launchers in the Strait of Hormuz after observing preparations to fire rockets carrying sea mines, with Iran's Revolutionary Guard confirming casualties and vowing to respond.
The United States military has carried out a new strike on rocket launchers belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) in the Strait of Hormuz, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed US official.
According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, American forces had observed IRGC units preparing to launch rockets fitted with sea mines into the strait, prompting the strike.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard confirmed in a statement that the strike hit Larak Island and caused an unspecified number of casualties, according to Iran's Fars news agency. The IRGC warned that the strike would be "met with a retaliatory response."
First such action in a month
This marks the first US military action in the Strait of Hormuz in a month. Earlier this week, US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper had announced that Iranian sea mines had been successfully cleared from the strait's international shipping lanes.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy corridor, typically carrying around a quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade.
Iran effectively shut down the waterway following US and Israeli strikes in late February, and the strait has since remained a major sticking point in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
