US forces on Monday struck two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island, off Iran's southern coast, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was reportedly observed preparing to launch rockets and deploy sea mines in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The attack has sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Al Jazeera reported that several IRGC personnel and civilians were killed or wounded. Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, said the strike was carried out by drones and reported two deaths and two injuries.
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Iran subsequently vowed a “response and punishment” and claimed it had launched ballistic missile attacks against US military positions in Jordan. The IRGC said the strikes targeted the King Hussein and Al-Azraq bases, including technical infrastructure, maintenance facilities and fighter-jet positions, and claimed to have caused heavy damage.
The strike is the first known US attack on Iranian territory since President Donald Trump paused a renewed military campaign in late July.
US Central Command (Centcom) spokesman Cdr Tim Hawkins said the IRGC forces were preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. A US official said American forces remain closely monitoring the area and are prepared to protect the free movement of commercial shipping.
Jordan's armed forces said eight missiles breached the kingdom's airspace but were intercepted by its air-defence systems. US sources said there were no significant impacts and that nearly all incoming missiles had been intercepted.
Larak Island lies near Bandar Abbas and directly alongside the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. Iran has been subjecting tanker traffic passing the island to inspections and has reportedly demanded substantial payments from vessels crossing the waterway.
The latest confrontation follows US efforts to clear sea mines from the Strait. Trump has warned that any new Iranian attempt to deploy mines would result in the vessels involved being destroyed, while Iranian officials have dismissed his claims about the removal of mines as propaganda.
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