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A senior US official told Reuters that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, prompting US forces to strike two launchers on Larak Island. The same official stated that US Central Command had completed clearing mines from the international shipping routes in the waterway only last week. US forces continue to monitor the area closely and stand prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through the strait, according to the official’s account. The incident represents the first known US strike inside Iran since late July, as the broader conflict has settled into a stalemate with Washington warning of additional sanctions on Tehran’s supporters.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the strike through state media and reported that it killed and wounded several soldiers and civilians on the island. The IRGC statement, carried by Iranian broadcasters, declared that the “enemy’s terrorist act of aggression on Larak Island will be met with a response, and the aggressor will be punished.” Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency separately described the event as a US drone strike, while Fars news agency reported that an explosion had been heard near the island with the cause initially unknown. Preliminary unofficial reports cited by Tasnim placed the toll at two killed and two injured.
President Donald Trump stated last week that all mines had been detonated or removed from the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz, according to US officials who briefed reporters at the time. Trump added that Iran had been warned any ship or boat placing new mines would be destroyed, the officials recounted. The latest action aligns with that position as American forces acted to prevent further mining attempts in the passage.
Before the current US-Israeli conflict with Iran, approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies moved through the Strait of Hormuz, according to data compiled by the US Energy Information Administration. Larak Island sits in a strategic position within the waterway and has served as a base for IRGC maritime operations in the past, assessments from Western defense officials show. The US strike comes amid heightened tensions over freedom of navigation in the region, where disruptions could ripple through energy markets worldwide.
The war between US and Israeli forces and Iran has reached a stalemate in recent weeks, with both sides exchanging limited strikes while avoiding all-out escalation, Reuters reporting has shown. Washington has threatened costly sanctions against any nations continuing to support Tehran, according to administration statements. Iranian officials have repeatedly pledged to defend their territory and respond proportionally to perceived aggressions, as reiterated in the IRGC statement following the Larak Island incident.
A US official speaking to multiple outlets including CNN and the Financial Times reiterated that the action targeted only the immediate threat posed by the launchers and did not signal a wider offensive. The official emphasized that no US casualties resulted from the operation, consistent with the pattern of recent precision strikes. Iranian media coverage focused on the human cost and promised retaliation without providing further operational details in initial reports.
