The US military has struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first direct American attack on Iranian forces in more than a month.
Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for US Central Command (CENTCOM), said the strikes targeted launchers after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces were observed preparing to deploy rockets and sea mines near the strategic waterway.
Hours after the strikes, US President Donald Trump shared a post on Truth Social claiming Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub had been “blown to smithereens”. The accompanying footage was identified as AI-generated, and there was no evidence that the island had been attacked. Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company, dismissed the claim as “laughable”, stating that operations on Kharg Island remained active.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was not seeking war but would respond to any aggression. Meanwhile, Iran’s military reported retaliatory operations against US-linked facilities in Jordan and the UAE, although the UAE Ministry of Defence rejected reports of an attack on Al Minhad Air Base as false.
The latest escalation has also increased concerns over maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed a tanker was damaged after striking naval mines, while shipping activity through the waterway declined amid heightened security risks.
Alongside military pressure, Washington has continued its economic campaign against Tehran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said further secondary sanctions targeting financial institutions linked to Iran were expected as part of efforts to restrict the country’s access to the international financial system.
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