US strikes Iranian launchers on Larak Island
The United States has struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, marking the first known US military attack on Iran since late July and raising fresh fears of escalation around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command said the launchers were being prepared by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. Iran acknowledged the attack and said several people were killed or wounded, while the IRGC vowed retaliation.
Larak Island lies just off Iran’s southern coast near Bandar Abbas and sits along the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass. The waterway has been severely disrupted during the conflict, pushing up energy prices and raising concerns over global supplies.
The US said it had recently completed the removal or destruction of mines from the strait’s main shipping lane. Iran’s latest activity suggests the dispute over control of the waterway remains unresolved.
