United States military forces launched air strikes against Iranian positions on Larak Island on Sunday night, targeting two missile launchers located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that the attack killed and wounded several Iranian fighters and civilians, vowing to retaliate and punish those responsible for the bombardment.
Tehran has not released a specific casualty toll following the military action, which represents the first American strike against Iranian targets in a month.
US forces target missile launchers in Strait of Hormuz
United States Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins confirmed the military action in an official press release sent to Agence France-Presse, stating that American forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island earlier on Sunday.
Hawkins explained that members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were observed on the island preparing to launch missiles equipped with naval mines into surrounding maritime waters.
The military operation was initially reported by the American news website Axios, which cited a United States official confirming that American forces had struck the two launcher sites on Larak Island.
Axios journalist Barak Ravid, citing the same United States official, reported that Revolutionary Guard personnel had been spotted making immediate preparations to launch mine-carrying missiles directly towards the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran vows military and economic response
Iranian officials issued strong warnings following the attack, promising to retaliate against the United States for the casualties and damage on Larak Island.
A spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated to the Iranian news agency Fars that the United States would pay for the strike on both an economic and military level.
Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported an official statement from the Revolutionary Guard pledging to punish those deemed responsible for the action and confirming that both military personnel and civilians were among the dead and wounded.
Iranian news agency Fars separately reported that a loud explosion was heard near Larak Island, noting that the origin of the blast was initially unknown before details of the American strikes on the two missile launchers were confirmed.
Strategic context and regional geography
Larak Island is an Iranian island situated in the Persian Gulf off the southern coast of Iran, located near the narrow entrance of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz forms one of the world's most critical maritime shipping channels, handling a significant portion of global petroleum shipments. United States Central Command, headquartered in Tampa, Florida, oversees American military operations across the Middle East and monitors maritime security across regional sea lanes.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operates as a distinct branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, managing coastal defence systems, fast attack craft, and missile installations along Iran's maritime frontier.
