THE United States (US) and Iran have traded strikes after American forces attacked two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The first known US strikes on Iran since late July killed two people and injured two others, according to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which vowed “response and punishment.”
US Central Command (Centcom) said it took “limited, precise action” after observing Iran preparing to “launch rockets and deploy sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” according to its spokesperson.
In response, Iran said it had struck US military bases in Jordan, with Jordan’s Army saying it had intercepted eight missiles early on Monday morning, August 31.
Iran’s state television also said the Iranian Army had targeted an air base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with drones.
UAE’s Ministry of Defence, however, described reports that Al-Minhad Air Base had been targeted as “unfounded.” It did confirm it shot down a drone.
The US strike is the first known attack on Iran since President Donald Trump paused a renewed military campaign in late July.
Larak Island is just offshore from the key port of Bandar Abbas and sits right on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global shipping.
Some 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel through before the war began. Since the conflict began in February, the strait has effectively been closed, causing wild fluctuations in the price of oil on world markets.
Iran is currently demanding that tanker traffic pass by Larak Island for checks and reportedly forcing vessels to pay $2m (£1.5m) to cross.
Its Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, said earlier that the attack on Larak was carried out by drones.
The Strait of Hormuz separates Iran from the Gulf countries
Hours later, Iranian media carried a statement by the IRGC saying it had attacked the US bases of King Hussein and al-Azraq in Jordan with ballistic missiles in response to the Larak Island attack.
Its Foreign Ministry said on Monday it “strongly condemned the American military aggression on Larak,” adding that the strikes on bases in Jordan were a “legitimate defence.”
Trump later told Fox News that the US would “hit them hard” in response.
Later on Monday, Centcom denied an earlier IRGC claim that a supertanker had struck sea mines and caught fire while trying to navigate the Strait of Hormuz via a route not authorised by Iran.
Tasnim published a photo appearing to show a vessel on fire, but did not identify the tanker or provide further details, including when the image was taken.
The BBC was unable to verify the claimed attack.
“This is yet another IRGC attempt to intimidate regional commercial shipping through disinformation,” Centcom said.
Meanwhile, Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, said in a statement quoted by state television: “We are not seeking war, but we will deliver a decisive response to the aggressors.”
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, which Trump has threatened to take. His post did not elaborate.
The United Nations (UN) rules allow countries to exercise control of territorial seas up to 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles) from their coastline. At the narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz and its shipping lanes lie entirely within Iran and Oman’s territorial waters.
Iran has fired against vessels it alleged had sought to cross without its permission.
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, adding that 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.
Iran is 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, which they argue followed Washington’s military failure in the recent conflict.
The US is also continuing a naval blockade of Iran, which has affected Iran’s ability to export oil.
On Saturday, Centcom said it had disabled three vessels, boarded two and redirected 82 as part of the blockade.
