U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island after Revolutionary Guard personnel were observed preparing rockets carrying sea mines for launch into the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first known American military action against Iran in roughly a month.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
U.S. forces carried out a strike Sunday against Iranian rocket launchers near the Strait of Hormuz after members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were observed preparing weapons capable of deploying sea mines into the strategic waterway, according to a U.S. official.
The operation targeted Iranian forces on Larak Island, which sits inside the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime routes for oil and other energy shipments.
The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the military operation, said IRGC personnel had been preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines when American forces struck.
The attack represents the first known U.S. military action against Iran in approximately a month and signals a renewed confrontation over Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the strait.
Semiofficial Iranian news organizations reported explosions in the vicinity of Larak Island following the strike.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said several military personnel and civilians were killed or wounded, according to Iranian state media. The IRGC did not provide a complete casualty count in the information available.
The Revolutionary Guards also vowed that the U.S. attack would face “response and punishment.”
Sunday’s strike follows an extensive U.S. military effort to clear sea mines from international shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz.
American forces completed that operation only days before the attack on Larak Island.
President Donald Trump said last week that all sea mines previously threatening international waters in the strait had either been removed or destroyed.
Trump also warned Iran against attempting to place additional mines in the waterway, saying any replacements would be rapidly eliminated.
The latest U.S. military action indicates that Washington was prepared to act before newly prepared mines could reach international shipping lanes.
Sea mines pose a significant threat in the Strait of Hormuz because the narrow passage serves as a critical transit corridor for global energy supplies. Any sustained disruption can affect oil shipments, commercial navigation and international energy markets far beyond the immediate region.
According to the U.S. official, the Iranian forces targeted Sunday were not merely positioned near the waterway but were actively preparing rocket systems capable of carrying mines into the strait.
The strike therefore came shortly after U.S. forces had finished clearing the previous mine threat and after Trump publicly warned Tehran that renewed mining activity would not be tolerated.
The attack also raises the possibility of another round of military escalation between Washington and Tehran.
Iran’s declaration that the strike would be answered with “response and punishment” leaves open the possibility of retaliation against American forces or other targets.
No additional U.S. strikes or Iranian retaliatory operations were described in the information available.
The confrontation places the Strait of Hormuz once again at the center of tensions between the United States and Iran, with Washington seeking to keep international shipping lanes open and Tehran warning that Sunday’s attack will not go unanswered.
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