US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Iran’s Larak Island, a US official said, marking the first known American strikes on Iran since late July.
“I can confirm that earlier today US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into Strait of Hormuz,” the US official said yesterday.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the attack killed and wounded several soldiers and citizens and would be met with a ‘response and punishment’ from Tehran, Iranian state media reported.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported the US carried out a drone strike on the island.
US President Donald Trump said last week that all mines had been detonated or removed from the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran has been told that any ship or boat placing new mines will be destroyed.
The last known US strikes on Iran were in late July as the war has reached a stalemate in recent weeks with Washington threatening to impose costly sanctions on countries that support Iran.
The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 and Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases.
The Iran war has now crossed its six-month mark.
The war has led to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which before the conflict used to see a transit of about a fifth of the world’s oil barrels consumed.
A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting inbound through the Strait on Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said yesterday.
The incident occurred 12 nautical miles north of Oman.
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