The U.S. military struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Sunday, marking its first attack on Iran in more than a month, according to a U.S. official.
American forces targeted the two launchers on Larak Island after observing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, confirmed the strike and provided details about the strategic context surrounding the military action.
“Last week, Centcom completed clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes,” Hawkins told reporters, adding that forces remain on high alert in the region.
“U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” Hawkins said.
Larak Island sits off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran, positioning it near one of the world’s most strategically critical maritime chokepoints.
Earlier in the week, Centcom Commander Admiral Brad Cooper announced that his forces had cleared all Iranian sea mines along internationally recognized transit routes in the key waterway.
“The circumstances were challenging and dangerous to say the least, but we got the job done,” Cooper said in a video message released by the command.
Sunday’s strikes represent the first U.S. military action against Iranian targets since July 29, when Centcom conducted airstrikes following an IRGC attack on an American military base in Jordan.
On Monday, the Trump administration escalated its economic pressure campaign against Iran, with the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioning nearly 60 entities, individuals, and vessels tied to the Iranian regime.
Those sanctioned were identified as actors that “enable” the Iranian regime’s “recklessness, including illicit nuclear and missile technology procurement, cyber operations, and oil-revenue generation networks,” according to an official Treasury release.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi also addressed the situation publicly, referencing the now-expired interim peace deal reached between the Trump administration and Iranian officials in June.
“Future management of the Strait and a permanent solution will follow in due course, as per Article 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum,” al-Busaidi wrote on X, signaling ongoing diplomatic engagement in the region.
“Discussions with regional partners will be conducted in support of peace and cooperation, stability and freedom of navigation,” the Omani foreign minister added, underscoring Oman’s continued role as a regional mediator.
