US strikes Iranian launchers on Larak Island in first known attack in weeks

The United States conducted airstrikes on Iranian military launchers located on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first known American military action against Iran since late July. According to a U.S. official cited by CBS News, the strike targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces that were preparing to launch sea mines into the strategic waterway.

U.S. Central Command (Centcom) spokesman Commander Tim Hawkins confirmed the operation, stating that IRGC forces were observed readying rockets equipped with sea mines. The IRGC reported casualties from the strike and vowed retaliation, later claiming it had launched ballistic missiles at U.S. military targets in Jordan. Jordan’s armed forces confirmed intercepting eight missiles that breached its airspace on Monday.

Larak Island, situated just offshore from the major Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, is a critical location in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil shipments. Iran has reportedly been detaining tankers passing near the island and demanding payments of up to $2 million for passage. The IRGC’s Hossein Mohebbi condemned the U.S. strike as a “strategic and fatal mistake,” warning of consequences in both economic and military spheres.

Iranian state media initially reported that the U.S. attack was carried out by drones, with two people killed and two others injured. The IRGC later stated it had launched a retaliatory strike targeting U.S. bases at King Hussein and al-Azraq in Jordan, claiming to have inflicted “heavy damage” on technical infrastructure, maintenance facilities, and fighter jet positions.

The latest confrontation follows a series of escalations in the region. U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week that all previously placed Iranian mines in the Strait of Hormuz had been removed or detonated, warning that any new deployments would result in destruction. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi dismissed this claim as propaganda.

Tensions have intensified after the U.S. imposed fresh sanctions on August 24, aiming to further isolate Tehran and expand secondary sanctions against its allies. Iranian officials have largely dismissed these measures as ineffective, framing them as a continuation of existing U.S. policies.

The conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran escalated significantly in late February when a broad wave of airstrikes was launched, leading to reciprocal attacks from Iran on U.S. and allied positions. The violence has effectively disrupted marine traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that previously carried about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.

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