US strikes Iranian missile launchers on Larak island as Strait of Hormuz tensions escalate
US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak island on Sunday after IRGC troops were seen preparing to fire sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. Iran vowed retaliation, and a reported attack on US forces in Jordan followed the same night.
A US official has confirmed that American forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak island on Sunday, marking the first known US strikes since late July. The official said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces had been observed preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC said the strike killed and wounded several soldiers and civilians, and Iranian state media reported that Tehran would respond with 'response and punishment.' A spokesperson quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency said the US would pay for the attack both economically and militarily. Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that the US strike was carried out using a drone.
On Sunday night, Reuters cited a US source saying Iran had launched an attack on US forces in Jordan in apparent retaliation. The source said all incoming missiles had been intercepted, with no significant impact so far.
Background to the conflict
Donald Trump said last week that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters in the Strait of Hormuz, and that Iran had been warned any vessel placing new mines would be destroyed. The previous known US strikes on Iran took place in late July, with the conflict having reached a stalemate in recent weeks as Washington threatened costly sanctions on countries supporting Iran.
The US and Israel struck Iran on 28 February, prompting Iranian strikes on Israel and Gulf states hosting US bases. The war has now passed the six-month mark. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions, while 18 US service members have died in the conflict. The fighting has also led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried roughly a fifth of the world's oil consumption.
