US strikes Iranian military sites to prevent mine deployment in Strait of Hormuz: Axios
US forces targeted Iranian military positions to stop Tehran from placing naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported, citing an American official.
Key Takeaways
AIA US official told Axios that American forces targeted Iranian military sites to prevent Tehran from deploying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
US forces struck two launch platforms on Larak Island after detecting Iranian Revolutionary Guard units preparing to fire rockets loaded with naval mines toward the strait, according to American officials.
The US strike followed surveillance of Revolutionary Guard personnel getting ready to launch rockets carrying naval mines toward the Strait of Hormuz, American officials said. US Central Command stated that forces targeted the two launch platforms on Larak Island to stop the deployment of mines in the strategic waterway.
This marks the first known US attack on Iranian territory in about a month, representing a new escalation between Washington and Tehran after a period in which the US administration had focused on increasing economic pressure rather than resuming large-scale military operations.
In response, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that the strike on Larak Island resulted in casualties among fighters and civilians, without providing exact numbers, and vowed to retaliate and punish those responsible for the attack.
These developments come as the Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point of tensions between the two sides, given its significance for oil shipments and global trade. US forces have recently conducted operations to remove naval mines from the waterway, heightening the sensitivity around any Iranian attempts to lay new mines in the area.
Following the strike, Iranian media reported the launch of rockets from various locations in Iran targeting sites in the region, with reports of explosions heard in the south of the country, indicating a possible Iranian response to the US escalation. There were also reports of attacks on sites linked to US forces in the region, including in Jordan, while US officials said the rockets were intercepted and that there were no major casualties among American troops.