SRINAGAR: US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, marking the first known American strikes on Iranian territory since late July, according to a US official cited by Axios.
The official said the Iranian systems were targeted after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces were observed preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. The US military said it remained prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through the strategic waterway.
Iran’s IRGC said the strike killed and injured several fighters and civilians and vowed to respond to what it described as an act of aggression. Iranian state-linked Tasnim News Agency reported that preliminary information indicated the attack had been carried out by drones. No precise casualty figure was immediately available.
Hours later, Iran fired missiles from multiple locations across the country towards targets in the region, Iranian state television reported. Press TV also reported missile fire directed at US vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, without immediately providing further details.
Iranian state television separately reported explosions in the southern city of Sirik, saying they could be linked to Iranian military activity in the Strait of Hormuz.
Senior Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi warned that Tehran’s response would follow, writing on X that retaliation was coming and that further action against Iran would carry a heavier cost, according to reports.
The latest escalation comes amid continued tensions between Tehran and Washington following months of conflict centred partly on navigation and security in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes.
