U.S., Iran exchange strikes near Strait of Hormuz

U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, triggering Iranian attacks on targets in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates and renewing direct fighting in a six-month war that has rattled shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command said Sunday it hit two rocket launchers on the Iranian island, which sits in the strategic waterway near Iran’s coast. CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces had been seen preparing to launch rockets and deploy sea mines into the strait.

In a post on X, CENTCOM described the operation as “limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz.” It said: “In essence, Iran created the threat and the US military eliminated it to protect civilian mariners, commercial shipping, and the free flow of global commerce.”

Iran condemned the strike as a violation of its sovereignty and said Iranian soldiers and civilians were killed and wounded. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran was “not looking for war,” according to the Fars news agency, but would “never sit still in the face of any aggression.” He added that Iran “will give a decisive response to the aggressors” if attacked.

The IRGC said it responded with missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan and U.S. military assets in the UAE. Iranian media said the strikes targeted King Hussein and Al Azraq air bases in Jordan, and the IRGC claimed it destroyed “technical and maintenance infrastructure” and fighter deployment sites. Iran described the attacks as self-defense under the U.N. Charter.

Jordan’s army said its air defense systems intercepted eight missiles that entered the kingdom’s airspace at dawn Monday, according to Jordanian broadcaster Al-Mamlaka and Al Jazeera. A U.S. official told Al Jazeera Arabic that U.S. forces were able to intercept Iran’s attacks against Jordan and said Tehran had launched medium-range ballistic missiles.

Iran also said it launched dozens of drones at U.S. military assets at Al Menhad airbase in the UAE. The UAE’s Ministry of Defence said its air force responded to a drone over its territorial waters approaching from Iran, but rejected Iranian claims that its airbase had been targeted. The UAE foreign ministry condemned what it called “aggressive attacks” by Iran, describing them as “a dangerous escalation, an unacceptable assault, and direct threat to the country’s security, stability, and territorial integrity.”

The IRGC also said its air defenses intercepted a long-range U.S. MQ-9 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian news agencies reported.

A separate maritime incident added to tensions. The IRGC said a supertanker attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without permission was struck by two naval mines, forcing it to stop and sparking a fire, according to a statement quoted by Reuters. The statement did not identify the ship or give details about its location or crew. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations center reported Saturday that a tanker had been “struck by an unknown projectile” while entering the strait, with no casualties or environmental impact reported.

President Donald Trump late Sunday posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social that he said showed Iran’s Kharg Island under attack, writing, “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!” CBS News reported there was no evidence of a recent attack on the island, Iran’s main oil export terminal. Reuters, citing Iran’s government-affiliated Nour News agency, reported that the head of the National Iranian Oil Company said operations on Kharg Island had not stopped.

The fighting follows a U.S. shift toward expanded economic pressure on Iran. Al Jazeera reported that Washington last week announced new sanctions under what officials called “Operation Economic Outcast,” while CBS News reported the Trump administration described the strategy as “economic warfare.”