Washington, Aug. 31 (SANA) U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after detecting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces preparing rockets carrying sea mines for deployment into the strategic waterway.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed the strikes, saying IRGC forces had been observed preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the strait.
CENTCOM described the operation as “limited” and “precise,” saying it targeted mine-laying forces that posed an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz.
Hawkins said U.S. forces were closely monitoring the area and remained prepared to protect the free flow of trade through the strait.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two people were killed and two others wounded in the strike and vowed to respond.
Iran launches retaliatory strikes
Hours later, the IRGC said it launched ballistic missiles at the King Hussein and al-Azraq U.S. bases in Jordan in retaliation for the Larak Island strike.
The IRGC said the attack targeted technical and maintenance infrastructure and areas where fighter jets were stationed, claiming it caused heavy damage. The claim was not independently confirmed.
Jordan’s armed forces said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed eight missiles that breached the Kingdom’s airspace early Monday before they could pose a threat to civilians or property.
Separately, Iranian state media said Iran’s military targeted a U.S. military position at al-Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates with drones. The UAE said it intercepted a drone.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was not seeking war but would respond to attacks against the country.
Strait of Hormuz at center of tensions
Larak Island lies near the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and directly on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important waterways for energy shipments.
About 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the strait before the current conflict.
The U.S. strike came after President Donald Trump said last week that mines placed in the Strait of Hormuz had been detonated or removed, warning that vessels attempting to deploy new mines would be destroyed.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected Trump’s account, describing it as “propaganda.”
The United States has also continued a naval blockade of Iran. CENTCOM said Saturday that U.S. forces had disabled three vessels, boarded two and redirected 82 as part of the operation.
First direct exchange in weeks
The Larak Island strike marked the first known U.S. attack inside Iran since late July, when Trump halted a two-week U.S. military campaign in the region.
The United States and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian attacks on Israel, U.S. military bases and allied states in the Gulf.
The conflict has also disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, placing the strategic waterway at the center of concerns over global energy supplies and maritime trade.
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