U.S. military forces struck two rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, a U.S. official said, marking the first known American strikes since late July. Larak, a small Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz near the strategic port of Bandar Abbas, overlooks the shipping lanes at the mouth of the Gulf and holds a prominent position in disputes over Iran, maritime security and energy flows.
Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles aimed at two U.S. bases in Jordan, Iranian state media reported. The exchange represents a notable escalation after weeks in which the Trump administration prioritized economic sanctions over military measures to punish Tehran and those who do business with the regime.
Military actions and immediate claims
According to a U.S. official, the strikes targeted two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. The same source said that "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz." The U.S. Central Command later described the American action as "limited, precise" strikes against minelaying forces of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards that posed an "imminent threat" in the Strait of Hormuz, without providing further operational details.
Iranian state outlets said Tehran retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at U.S. facilities in Jordan. Jordan’s armed forces reported intercepting eight missiles that had entered its airspace, according to state television. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack caused fatalities and injuries among soldiers and civilians and pledged a "response and punishment," per Iranian state media reports.
A U.S. media correspondent on Sunday, citing a U.S. source, reported that Iran had attacked U.S. forces stationed in Jordan. The correspondent noted that nearly all incoming missiles "have been intercepted at this point," posting the assessment on X and indicating limited reported impact from the barrage.
Shipping, mines and maritime traffic
The episode came as threats to shipping remain acute. Over the weekend, visible commodity vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell to about five a day, shipping data showed. Analysts caution the visible count may understate actual traffic because some ships have turned off automatic identification systems to reduce exposure to attacks.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters of the strait and warned that any vessel attempting to place new mines would be destroyed. The navy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards dismissed those statements as "an obvious lie," reiterating that the waterway remained closed to ships lacking Iranian permission. The strait previously carried nearly a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before it was blockaded in the six-month-old Iran war.
Economic pressure and sanctions strategy
Alongside the return to kinetic exchanges, the U.S. has intensified its use of financial tools. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters on Sunday that new secondary sanctions were likely to be announced weekly as part of an effort to squeeze Iran economically, with an initial focus on banks. "We’re starting with the banks, and we’re telling the banks it’s not okay to have Iranian money and to aid the regime," Bessent said in the interview.
Following recent penalties on the United Arab Emirates branches of Egypt’s Banque Misr over alleged financial links to Iran, Bessent said a possible next step could be excluding an institution entirely from the dollar-based financial system. "You’re going to see a lot more of these every week," he said, speaking ahead of a meeting of Group of 20 finance leaders.
Implications and current picture
The combined military and economic pressure marks a dual approach by the United States: a return to targeted kinetic responses against perceived immediate threats in the Strait of Hormuz, paired with an escalating sanctions campaign aimed initially at banks and potentially broader removals from dollar channels. Details on casualties or damage from the reported attacks remain limited in public accounts.
Shipping activity and maritime security remain focal points for the region’s stability and for global energy markets given the strait’s historical role in crude oil and LNG transit. The number of visible commercial vessels in the corridor has decreased amid the heightened risk environment and reported attempts by some vessels to obscure their positions.
At present, official statements from the U.S. and Iranian sides describe the events as responses to perceived threats, while on-the-ground verification of some claims is constrained by the fluid security situation and competing public statements from military and state media outlets.