U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island after IRGC troops were spotted preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz -- the first U.S. strike inside Iran since late July.
American forces struck two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island on Sunday after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel were spotted preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. The strike marks the first known U.S. attack inside Iran since late July, when President Donald Trump halted a two-week military campaign in the waterway. Tehran responded almost immediately, with the IRGC vowing to punish the United States and warning of retaliation on both the economic and military fronts.
A U.S. official confirmed that the launchers were targeted after IRGC forces were observed arming rockets with sea mines aimed at the strait, the narrow passage that carries roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. The official said U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through the critical shipping lane.
The strike came on the heels of a U.S. operation to clear mines from the main shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz. Following that effort, President Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran, declaring that any ship or boat involved in placing new mines would be immediately and systematically destroyed.
There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Sunday's action was the enforcement of that warning, hitting the IRGC launchers before the mines could be deployed into the waterway.
Iranian state media said the attack would be answered by the sons of Iran and would result in the punishment of the aggressor. The state broadcaster IRIB reported that the strike killed and wounded several Iranian personnel and civilians, while the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency said a drone carried out the attack, killing two people and wounding two others.
A spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards said the United States would pay for the Larak Island strike on both economic and military fronts. Iran has previously retaliated against similar U.S. strikes by launching missiles and drones at military bases in neighboring countries that host American troops, raising the stakes for the region in the days ahead.
Larak is a small island in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Bandar Abbas, east of Qeshm Island and south of Hormuz Island. It covers roughly 49 square kilometers, but its location gives it strategic weight far beyond its size. The island hosts an IRGC Navy base and sits directly on top of one of the world's most important maritime choke points.
The strait itself has been at the center of the confrontation now entering its seventh month. Washington has shifted from its bombing campaign toward financial pressure, recently announcing D-Day sanctions designed to squeeze Tehran's economy and threatening secondary sanctions against countries and companies that continue doing business with Iran. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has made clear that military force remains on the table if needed.
The Larak Island strike opens a new chapter in the standoff. The United States has made keeping the waterway open a central objective and has moved millions of barrels of oil through the strait under military protection despite Tehran's blockade. Iran, for its part, continues to insist the vital waterway is closed and says it is prepared for a prolonged conflict.
With both sides signaling that sea mines could trigger further military action, the coming days will test whether Tehran follows through on its threats of retaliation or steps back from the brink. The Trump administration has made clear it will not allow the Islamic Republic to weaponize the world's energy lifeline, and Sunday's strike demonstrates that warning was not empty.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island after IRGC troops were spotted preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz -- the first U.S. strike inside Iran since late July.
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