US strikes Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island

The United States struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, marking the first American military action inside Iran in several weeks. The attack targeted systems that U.S. officials said were being prepared to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the strategic waterway, a vital corridor for global oil and gas shipments. A U.S. official confirmed the strikes, stating that American forces had observed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel preparing the launchers. The operation followed the completion last week of a U.S. Central Command mission to clear sea mines from international shipping routes through the strait. U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce, the official said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the attack, reporting that it killed and wounded several soldiers and civilians. The IRGC did not provide a precise casualty figure but vowed to retaliate. “This act will be responded to by the sons of Islamic Iran and will result in punishment of the aggressor,” the corps said in a statement.