US Strikes Iranian Launchers on Larak Island as Tanker Hits Mines in the Strait

US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Aug. 30, the first American military action against Iran in about a month. US Central Command said it moved after detecting Iranians preparing to fire rockets loaded with sea mines into the waterway.

Iran hit back fast. The IRGC launched ballistic missiles at King Hussein Airbase and al-Azraq Airbase in Jordan, both operated by US forces, claiming heavy damage to maintenance facilities and fighter jet positions. A US official told Reuters that all incoming missiles were intercepted with no significant impact to US forces.

The UAE shot down a drone over its territorial waters the same day.

A tanker caught fire after striking two naval mines near the Omani side of the strait, Iranian state TV reported. The IRGC did not name the tanker and gave no crew information. It warned other tankers passing without complying with its rules would face the same outcome.

The Aug. 30 strikes followed weeks of conflicting claims about mine removal. Trump said on Aug. 25 that US Navy forces had cleared all mines from the waterway. Iran rejected that claim. Tanker Trackers, an independent monitoring service, said crude oil exports through the strait averaged 3.8 million barrels per day over the prior week, against 9.8 million during a brief ceasefire period earlier in the year.

Commercial shipping in the area has been hit repeatedly. A tanker was struck near the Hormuz entrance on Aug. 25, prompting UKMTO Warning 121-26; the fire went out and the crew were safe. Earlier in August, US forces ran an escort corridor through the strait for tanker convoys, without public announcement.

Iranian state media reported at least two killed and two injured in the Larak Island strike. One IRGC navy officer was confirmed among the dead.