US forces strike Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island; Iran targets bases in Jordan
US Central Command said American forces hit two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz after Revolutionary Guard units were seen preparing to fire sea mines. Iran said it answered with ballistic missiles aimed at US sites in Jordan.
WASHINGTON - US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first publicly confirmed American attack on Iranian military positions in about a month, US Central Command said.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesman, said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the strait. The US military last week finished clearing sea mines from the waterway's international shipping lanes.
CENTCOM described the action as limited and precise. "In essence, Iran created the threat and the US military eliminated it to protect civilian mariners, commercial shipping, and the free flow of global commerce," the command said in a statement.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said several of its fighters were killed or wounded and vowed punishment. Iranian state television later showed what it said were ballistic missiles fired at US-operated King Hussein and Al-Azraq air bases in Jordan. Jordan's armed forces said they intercepted eight missiles that entered the kingdom's airspace early Monday. Iranian outlets also claimed strikes on a US site in the United Arab Emirates; US officials did not immediately confirm damage or injuries there.
The exchange broke a lull in an intermittent war that began with US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28 and has now lasted more than six months. In recent days the Trump administration had stressed economic pressure over new bombing. President Donald Trump posted about Iran's Kharg Island oil hub after the Larak strikes; Tehran dismissed claims of a successful attack on that facility.
About one-fifth of the world's oil trade moved through Hormuz before the conflict choked tanker traffic. Markets reacted Monday with a jump in crude prices. Analysts said any return to open mining or base attacks keeps a risk premium in energy markets even when fighting is episodic.
Go Deeper
Why did the US strike Larak Island?
CENTCOM said Guard forces were preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, days after the US finished clearing mines from shipping lanes.
How did Iran respond?
The Revolutionary Guard said it fired ballistic missiles at US bases in Jordan. Jordan reported intercepting eight missiles. Claims about the UAE were not fully confirmed by US officials in early reports.
Was this the first strike in weeks?
Yes. Multiple outlets said it was the first publicly confirmed US military action against Iranian positions since late July.
What is Larak Island?
A small Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint at the mouth of the Persian Gulf that normally carries a large share of global oil shipments.
Does this change gas prices at home?
Oil markets rose after the exchange. Pump prices move with crude, refining and local factors, so a one-day strike does not set the retail price by itself, but Hormuz risk keeps traders nervous.
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