WASHINGTON — The latest exchange between the United States and Iran has brought fresh military tension to the Strait of Hormuz, after American forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island in the first known US attack on Iranian territory since late July.
The operation took place on Sunday, August 30, 2026. A US official said Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces had been observed preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the American strike. US Central Command later described the action as limited and precise.
The incident came after Washington said it had cleared mines from international waters in the strait and warned that any attempt to place new mines there would be met with military action. The waterway is a critical route for international energy shipments and has remained at the centre of the wider confrontation.
Iran said the attack caused casualties among soldiers and civilians on Larak Island. Its Revolutionary Guards vowed retaliation, describing the American operation as an attack that would draw a response from Tehran.
That response came with Iranian missile strikes against two US military bases in Jordan. Iranian authorities said the bases were targeted in retaliation for the Larak Island operation, while Jordanian authorities said eight missiles entering its airspace were intercepted. No injuries were reported at the bases.
Iran also claimed to have targeted US forces at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE rejected reports that the base had been attacked, although it said it intercepted a drone coming from Iran.
The renewed fighting follows weeks in which Washington had shifted greater attention towards economic pressure on Tehran. The latest exchange marks a return to direct US-Iran military action after the previous known American strikes in late July.
The Strait of Hormuz has become particularly sensitive during the conflict because it previously carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments. Disruption around the waterway has continued to weigh on energy markets, with crude prices rising after the latest attacks.
Brent crude climbed above $90 a barrel as traders assessed the possibility of further disruption to supplies. Shipping activity through the strait has also remained under pressure amid the security concerns surrounding the waterway.
The latest escalation comes as the conflict enters its seventh month, with Washington combining sanctions and military pressure while Tehran continues to threaten retaliation. The exchange around Larak Island has once again raised concerns that fighting could spread across the strategically important Gulf region.
