Overview
- U.S. forces struck two rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, saying they targeted IRGC units preparing to fire rockets fitted with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
- Hours later, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. facilities in the region, with Jordan reporting interception of eight missiles and the UAE denying that its Al Minhad base was hit.
- Claims that a supertanker hit mines in the strait and that the Larak strike caused confirmed civilian deaths are disputed; U.S. military officials called the tanker report disinformation and casualty numbers remain unverified.
- The exchanges rattled shipping and markets, sending oil prices higher and leaving visible commercial transits through the strait at unusually low levels as naval escorts and mine‑clearing continue.
- Washington paired the limited kinetic response with a stepped‑up sanctions campaign, and a mid‑August classified assessment warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that prolonged large‑scale operations against Iran risk degrading U.S. military readiness.