Washington, Aug 2026 : The United States military on Sunday carried out a strike on two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, marking the first known American attack on an Iranian target since late July and raising tensions over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins said the strike was conducted after American forces observed personnel from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
“Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into Strait of Hormuz,” Hawkins said in a statement. He added that US forces were closely monitoring the area and remained prepared to safeguard the free movement of commercial shipping through the critical waterway.
Larak Island is located off Iran’s southern coast in Hormozgan province, near the port city of Bandar Abbas. The island lies east of Qeshm Island and south of Hormuz Island, placing it close to the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's IRGC confirmed that an attack had taken place on Larak Island and said several military personnel and civilians were killed or wounded. In a statement carried by its official news outlet, Sepah News, the IRGC described the incident as a “US-Israeli” attack and warned that the assault would be met with what it called “punishment for the aggressor.”
Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing unofficial reports, said at least two people were killed and another two injured in what it described as a US drone strike.
The incident was also reported by Iranian media outlets, with Fars news agency saying an explosion was heard on Larak Island on Sunday night.
US officials said the military action followed observations of Iranian forces preparing to deploy mines into international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports citing a US official, two Iranian launchers were targeted.
The development comes shortly after US forces completed an operation aimed at clearing sea mines from a key international shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz. American authorities have repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining safe passage through the waterway, through which a significant share of global energy shipments normally travels.
US President Donald Trump had earlier issued a strong warning to Iran over any attempt to place additional mines in the Strait. Following the American mine-clearing operation, Trump said that any vessel involved in laying new mines would face immediate and systematic destruction.
“There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The latest strike underscores the continuing volatility surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor. Any disruption to shipping through the waterway could have wider implications for international oil markets and global trade.
The US military has maintained that its operations are aimed at protecting freedom of navigation and commercial shipping, while Tehran has repeatedly warned against foreign military activity in and around its territorial waters.
The Larak Island strike could therefore mark a significant escalation in the latest confrontation between Washington and Tehran, particularly as both sides remain focused on control and security around the Strait of Hormuz.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
