US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, marking the first strikes on Iranian territory since late July, an official told Axios, Anadolu reports.
The operation, which followed a month-long period of relative stagnation in direct military engagements, targeted systems allegedly being prepared to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit point.
According to the US official, American forces are “monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce” through the strategic waterway. The Strait of Hormuz narrows to just 39 kilometers (24 miles) between Larak Island and Oman’s Great Quoin Island.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said several fighters and civilians were killed and injured in the strike and vowed to respond. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that preliminary information suggested it was a drone attack.
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