THE United States has carried out air strikes against Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, marking its first direct attacks on Iran since late July, the Pentagon has confirmed.
US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told AFP that American forces struck two Iranian launchers on the small island in the strategic waterway, adding that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel had been observed preparing to launch rockets armed with sea mines into the strait.
Washington insisted the strikes were “limited, precise action” aimed at preventing Iran from placing additional mines in the waterway, days after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had completed clearing explosives from international shipping routes.
“US forces took limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The strikes come after the administration of President Donald Trump had in recent weeks appeared to prioritise “economic warfare” over military action against Tehran. However, Sunday’s operation signals a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Tehran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, a critical sea lane through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the United States and Israel triggered hostilities with strikes on Iran on February 28. The closure has caused global economic pain, including price hikes and shortages of fertiliser and energy.
Both main crude oil contracts rose at least two per cent on Monday in response to the renewed hostilities.
The last US strike on Iran before Sunday occurred on July 29 in response to what the US military described as “an attempted surprise attack on US forces” in the region. Earlier in July, CENTCOM had attacked Iran for 13 consecutive nights.
Throughout the conflict, Iran has retaliated by striking US facilities and allies across the Gulf region, targeting locations in Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The April ceasefire had put an end to the most intense fighting, but sporadic attacks—primarily concentrated around the Strait of Hormuz—have dimmed prospects for a final peace agreement.
Captain Hawkins emphasised that US forces remain “prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway” and are monitoring the area closely.
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