Overview
- U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island after observing IRGC units preparing rockets fitted with sea mines, U.S. Central Command said, and officials described the action as limited and aimed at stopping an imminent mine threat.
- Hours later Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched ballistic missiles and drones at King Hussein and Al-Azraq air bases in Jordan, and Jordanian military statements reported intercepting eight incoming missiles with no confirmed U.S. casualties.
- President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video claiming Kharg Island was destroyed but Reuters and U.S. officials found no evidence of an attack and said Kharg was not targeted, highlighting active misinformation in the information space.
- Visible vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply after the exchanges and global oil prices rose, while the U.S. Treasury signaled a weekly cadence of new secondary sanctions aimed at cutting Iran out of financial networks.
- The clash ends a roughly monthlong pause in direct strikes and leaves diplomacy fragile, with analysts warning the paired use of limited military strikes and stepped-up sanctions could widen the conflict and further disrupt regional shipping and energy markets.