United States forces struck Iranian rocket launchers near Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first confirmed military action against Iran in a month and breaking a weeks-long lull in fighting, according to Indiatimes. A US official stated that the target included launchers set to fire rockets carrying mines toward the Strait of Hormuz. The previous week, the US Navy-overseen multinational coalition and US Central Command completed clearing sea mines from international shipping routes in the strait, according to ABC. The last confirmed US attack prior to this incident occurred on July 29.
US Forces Strike Larak Island in First Attack in Months
IRGC Launches Ballistic Missiles at US Bases in Jordan
Following the attack on Larak Island, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a combined missile and drone operation titled Punishment of the Aggressor,
targeting the King Hussein and Al Azraq bases in Jordan, as reported by Aljazeera. Jordanian forces reported intercepting eight ballistic missiles that entered the country’s airspace early Monday. Iranian state television broadcast footage showing missiles fired at US bases in the region, and the Revolutionary Guard acknowledged that several of its fighters and civilians were killed or wounded in the initial US strike.
Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the national security commission of the Iranian parliament, condemned the US action in a statement on X, warning of a devastating response. The military exchange unfolds as the US-Israel war enters its seventh month, a conflict that has killed thousands, displaced millions, and resulted in the deaths of 18 US service members.
Shift Toward Economic Warfare and Secondary Sanctions
The latest military flare-up occurs as the administration of US President Donald Trump pivots from a bombing campaign to a financial pressure strategy designed to force Tehran to end the war and make concessions regarding its nuclear program. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Treasury Department will likely unveil weekly new secondary sanctions targeting banks and financial institutions maintaining links to Iran, following penalties placed on the United Arab Emirates branches of Egypt’s Banque Misr. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has warned that the US remains prepared to use military force if necessary.
Impact on Global Energy Markets and Shipping
The ongoing conflict has severely disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global energy route that previously handled about a fifth of the world’s oil supply. While US officials maintain that the waterway is open under US military protection—pointing to dozens of vessels crossing recently—commercial traffic remains at reduced levels compared to the roughly 130 daily transits recorded before the war. Following Sunday’s US strike, oil prices rose, with US crude gaining 1.8% to $84.94 a barrel and Brent crude increasing 1.9% to $89.79. In the United States, average petrol prices remain above $4 per gallon, fueling inflation and creating political stakes for the Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections.
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