US Iran strikes Hormuz have reignited open conflict between the two countries after American forces attacked rocket launchers on Larak Island, killing two people and injuring two others, according to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
US Central Command (Centcom) said it had taken ‘limited, precise action’ against ‘minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz’. The IRGC vowed ‘response and punishment’.
Iran strikes back at Jordan and UAE
Iran said it struck US military bases in Jordan in response. Jordan’s army said it had intercepted eight missiles early on Monday morning. Iranian state TV also said the Iranian army had targeted an air base in the UAE with drones.
The UAE Ministry of Defence denied reports that Al-Minhad Air Base had been targeted, calling them ‘unfounded’. The UAE did confirm it shot down a drone.
Iranian media carried a statement by the IRGC saying it had attacked the US bases of King Hussein and al-Azraq in Jordan Armed Forces-administered territory with ballistic missiles. Iran’s foreign ministry described the strikes on those bases as ‘legitimate defence’ and ‘strongly condemned the American military aggression on Larak’.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, quoted by state TV, said: ‘We are not seeking war, but we will deliver a decisive response to the aggressors,’ according to AFP.
Trump warns of harder response over US Iran strikes Hormuz
Following the exchange, Trump told Fox News the US would ‘hit them hard’ in response, signalling the confrontation was far from over.
Hours after the US strike, Trump posted apparent AI videos on Truth Social showing oil infrastructure exploding. One was captioned ‘Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!’ in reference to a major oil terminal off the coast of Iran. His post did not elaborate.
Trump said last week that all mines placed in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran as part of its efforts to blockade the route had been detonated or removed. He said Iran had been warned that any ship or boat deploying new mines would be destroyed. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi described Trump’s claim as a ‘propaganda’ deception.
A vital waterway under pressure
Larak Island sits just offshore from the key port of Bandar Abbas, directly on the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a narrow stretch of water between Iran, the UAE and Oman, about 21 miles (33km) at its tightest point. United Nations rules allow countries to exercise control of territorial seas up to 12 nautical miles from their coastline. At that narrowest point, the shipping lanes lie entirely within Iranian and Omani territorial waters.
Some 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel through the strait before the current conflict began. Since fighting started in February, the strait has effectively been closed, causing sharp fluctuations in global oil prices. Iran is reportedly forcing vessels to pay $2m to cross, demanding tanker traffic pass by Larak Island for checks.
US Central Command said on Saturday it had disabled three vessels, boarded two and redirected 82 as part of an ongoing naval blockade of Iran. The blockade has affected Iran’s ability to export oil.
The US strike on Larak is the first known attack on Iran since Trump paused a renewed military campaign in late July. The wider conflict began on 28 February, when the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran, which responded by attacking Israel, US bases and allied states in the Gulf.
Iran is also facing renewed economic pressure after Washington announced a fresh sanctions campaign on 24 August, aimed at further isolating Tehran and expanding secondary sanctions against its allies. Iranian officials and state media have largely dismissed the campaign as a continuation of previous US economic measures.
