The United States and Iran have traded strikes for the first time in weeks, raising fresh fears of a wider escalation and further disruption to global energy supplies.
The latest confrontation began after US forces struck two launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. A US official said the operation targeted Iranian minelaying forces that posed an “imminent threat” to shipping in the strategic waterway.
US Central Command described the attack as “limited” and “precise”. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), however, said two people were killed and two others injured in the strikes. It also claimed to have shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz and vowed to retaliate.
Hours later, Iranian state media reported that the IRGC launched ballistic missiles at two US bases in Jordan — King Hussein and al-Azraq — in response to the Larak Island attack.
Jordan’s army said it intercepted eight missiles early on Monday, while the IRGC claimed the strikes caused “heavy damage” to US military infrastructure, maintenance facilities and fighter jet positions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was not seeking war but would respond decisively to any aggression.
“We are not seeking war, but we will deliver a decisive response to the aggressors,” Pezeshkian said in a statement quoted by Iranian state television, according to AFP.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi described the US attack as a “strategic and fatal mistake” and warned that Washington would face consequences in both the economic and military fields.
Larak Island, located near the key Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, sits along the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important routes for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Iran has reportedly been directing tanker traffic past the island for checks and allegedly demanding payments of up to $2 million from vessels crossing the waterway.
The latest US strike is the first known American attack on Iran since President Donald Trump paused a renewed military campaign in late July.
Trump had said last week that mines allegedly placed by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz had either been removed or detonated. He warned that any vessel attempting to deploy new mines would be destroyed.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi dismissed the claim as “propaganda”.
The latest exchange of fire also comes amid renewed economic pressure on Tehran. Washington announced a fresh sanctions campaign on August 24 aimed at further isolating Iran and expanding secondary sanctions against its allies.
Trump also posted apparent AI-generated videos on Truth Social showing oil infrastructure exploding. One was captioned, “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!” — referring to Iran’s major oil terminal that Trump has previously threatened.
The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering Iranian attacks on Israel, US bases and allied states in the Gulf. The conflict has now crossed the six-month mark, while the Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint.
About 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas previously passed through the waterway, meaning any prolonged disruption could have serious consequences for global energy markets.
