US forces carried out targeted airstrikes against two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, marking the first direct American strike on Iranian territory since late July.
The operation targeted systems being prepared by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to fire rockets carrying sea mines directly into the Strait of Hormuz—a crucial shipping bottleneck that narrows to just 39 kilometers (24 miles) between Larak Island and Oman’s Great Quoin Island.
A US military official confirmed the engagement, stating that American forces are monitoring the area closely to preserve the free flow of international maritime commerce. US Central Command emphasized that the precise operation was executed to neutralize an imminent threat to civilian mariners and global trade routes, following recent efforts by American forces to clear previously deployed sea mines from the waterway.
The strike follows warnings from US President Donald Trump, who recently stated that mine-clearing operations in the international shipping lanes had concluded and threatened a zero-tolerance policy for any attempts to lay new explosives. Washington has reportedly relied on advanced Space Force satellite monitoring and naval surveillance to track activity around the chokepoint.
The IRGC confirmed the strike, reporting that the attack resulted in both military and civilian casualties and injuries near Larak Island. Iranian state media suggested the strike was conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles.
IRGC representatives strongly condemned the action as a grave miscalculation by the US, warning of direct retaliatory action. Shortly after the incident, Iranian forces retaliated by launching a barrage of missiles aimed at US military facilities in Jordan.
The exchange breaks a month-long lull in direct military engagements between the two nations following a heavy wave of US strikes in late July. Tensions have remained acute since the outbreak of hostilites earlier this year, despite June mediation efforts by regional partners like Qatar and Pakistan. Global energy markets reacted immediately to the renewal of military friction along the critical corridor, driving Brent crude and US oil prices higher.
