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Tensions rise again after strike on Larak Island

According to a U.S. official, American forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island off the Iranian coast. The move was recorded as the first known U.S. strike since late July. In a statement, U.S. Central Command said the attack was prompted by indications that elements of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard were preparing to move sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said there were dead and wounded in the attack carried out on Sunday. Tasnim, a news agency close to the Revolutionary Guard, reported that initial assessments showed two people were killed and two others were injured. Tehran said the strike would be met with retaliation.

What do Washington and Tehran’s statements say?

U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that all mines Iran had placed in the Strait of Hormuz had been neutralized or removed. Trump also warned that any ship or boat trying to lay new mines would be destroyed. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi dismissed that assessment as propaganda.

Washington launched another new sanctions campaign against Tehran on 24 August. The U.S. said the aim was to further isolate Iran and expand secondary sanctions on its allies. Iranian officials and state media described the move as a continuation of the current pressure campaign following the military setback in the latest clashes.

  • The U.S. side said earlier in the month that all mines in the strait’s main trade route had been cleared.
  • The Iranian side said the attack would carry both economic and military consequences.

Why is the Strait of Hormuz seen as such a critical route?

The Strait of Hormuz is regarded as one of the most sensitive passages in global shipping. Larak Island lies just off Bandar Abbas, one of Iran’s major ports, and occupies a strategic position over the strait. According to the report, Iran routes tanker traffic past the island for inspection, and ships are said to have been asked to pay $2 million to pass through.

The U.S. and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran on 28 February, and Iran responded by targeting Israel, U.S. bases and allied countries in the Gulf. During that period, the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed to maritime traffic. Before the war, about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through this waterway.

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