US & Canada Middle East Politics

US strikes Iranian launchers near Strait of Hormuz

US strikes Iranian launchers near Strait of Hormuz

US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Iran's Larak island near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, marking the first known American military action against Iran in weeks.

The launchers were reportedly preparing to fire rockets filled with sea mines into the strategic waterway, according to US Central Command.

Iran swiftly vowed retaliation for what it called a deadly attack, raising fears of further escalation in the six-month-old conflict.

The strikes come as the US also plans new sanctions on an Iranian bank, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Iran
Country in Western Asia
Strait of Hormuz
Strait between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf
United States Central Command
Theater-level Unified Combatant Command of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for the broader Middle East
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Military organization to protect the political system of the Islamic Republic in Iran, designated as a terror organization by multiple countries
Larak Island
Island in Qeshm County, Iran