U.S. strikes Iranian rocket launchers near Strait of Hormuz

U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday after the military said Revolutionary Guard forces were preparing rockets carrying sea mines for launch into the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command confirmed to MS NOW.

“Earlier today U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement.

“Last week, CENTCOM completed clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes. U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” he said.

Sunday’s attack was the first publicly acknowledged U.S. strike on Iranian positions since late July, according to The Associated Press. The war has entered its sixth month and sharply disrupted vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy shipments.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps said the U.S. attack on Larak Island killed and wounded several Iranian soldiers, and it has responded with attacks on American military bases in Jordan, according to Iranian media reports.

The IRGC said the combined missile and drone operation targeted the King Hussein and Al Azraq bases, according to media reports.

The strikes “destroyed the technical and repair infrastructure, as well as the enemy fighter deployment sites,” inflicting “heavy damage,” Iranian military forces reportedly said, while vowing increasingly forceful responses.