US Strikes Iranian Forces Over Alleged Threat To Mine Strait Of Hormuz

US forces have carried out strikes against Iranian military targets after American officials said Iranian forces were preparing an operation that could threaten shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

The US military struck two Iranian rocket launch sites on Larak Island, a small Iranian island at the eastern end of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US official. The operation was described as an attempt to prevent an immediate threat to commercial shipping and maritime traffic in the area.

US officials said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces had been observed preparing rockets armed with sea mines for launch into the Strait. The claim was central to the decision to carry out the strikes, although independent analysts have questioned how practical such a method of deploying mines would be.

The operation came shortly after the United States had said the international shipping routes through the Strait had been cleared of mines. American authorities have continued monitoring the waterway and said they remain prepared to protect the movement of commercial vessels through the strategically important route.

US Central Command described the operation as limited and precise action against Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces involved in alleged minelaying preparations. The command said the forces represented an imminent threat to civilian mariners, commercial shipping and the wider flow of global commerce.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps responded by warning that the American attack would be met with retaliation. A statement published by Iran's official news agency said the operation would lead to punishment for what it described as the aggressor.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian subsequently said Tehran was not seeking war but would respond decisively to what he described as aggression. He also warned that Iran would not remain passive in the face of further attacks.

Pezeshkian also warned that continued instability in the region would not benefit any country. His comments came as concerns grew that renewed military exchanges between Iran and the United States could spread beyond the immediate area of the Strait of Hormuz.

The tensions quickly extended beyond Iran's coastline. Jordanian state media reported that the country's air defence systems intercepted eight missiles in Jordanian airspace following the American strikes on Larak Island. The Jordanian Armed Forces said the missiles had been destroyed before they threatened civilians or property.

However, two Jordanian security sources later told US media that some of the missiles were not successfully intercepted. The sources said there were no casualties, but did not specify where the missiles that were not intercepted landed.

Iran's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Iranian forces had targeted US bases in Jordan. Tehran said those bases had been used to launch and support attacks against Iran and argued that its armed forces retained what it described as an inherent right of self defence.

The United Arab Emirates also reported military activity involving an Iranian drone. The UAE Defence Ministry said its air force responded to an unmanned aerial vehicle detected over the country's territorial waters as it approached from Iran.

The UAE separately denied reports from Iranian media claiming that Al Minhad Air Base, south of Dubai, had been targeted by missiles. The denial came as governments across the Gulf monitored the wider escalation and assessed potential threats to their territory and military installations.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint in the confrontation because of its importance to international energy and commercial shipping. The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a critical route for vessels travelling through the region, making any disruption a wider international concern.

The latest strikes also followed a period in which direct US military action against Iranian targets had eased. The renewed confrontation has raised concerns over a broader escalation involving Iran, US forces and neighbouring states as both sides issue warnings about further military action.

American officials have continued to emphasise the protection of commercial shipping as a central objective in the Strait. Iran, meanwhile, has warned that it will respond to attacks against its forces, leaving the strategically important waterway at the centre of an increasingly volatile regional confrontation.

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