US launches first strike on Iran in weeks as it hits rocket launchers

US forces carried out an attack on two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, marking the first known American strike on Iran since late July, according to a US official. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was preparing to launch rockets loaded with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by CBS News quoting Cdr Tim Hawkins from US Central Command.

The IRGC claimed that the assault resulted in casualties and threatened retaliation. This marks the first time since US President Donald Trump halted a renewed military campaign late last year that the United States has launched strikes within Iran's borders. The US has reportedly completed the removal of all mines from the main shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran maintains that it is prepared to counter the widened economic sanctions imposed by the United States. The island, located near the strategic port of Bandar Abbas and right on the Strait of Hormuz, is reportedly used by Iran to check and charge vessels crossing the waterway, with reports suggesting a demand of $2 million per vessel.

Iran's IRGC spokesman called the attack a "strategic and fatal mistake by the Trump regime" and warned of the "consequences of this miscalculation in both the economic and military fields." The attack was reportedly executed via drones, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency. Trump had previously announced that all mines placed in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran as part of its blockade efforts had been detonated or removed.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, dismissed Trump's claim as a "propaganda deception." Iran is currently facing heightened economic pressure due to a fresh sanctions campaign announced by the United States on August 24, further isolating Tehran and targeting its allies. The US and Israel initiated extensive strikes on Iran in February, with Iran responding by targeting Israeli and US interests in the Gulf, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic.

The ongoing conflict between the two nations has now been ongoing for six months, with an estimated 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passing through the Strait prior to the outbreak of hostilities.