Iran asserts military strength after US strike on Larak Island

The US military struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on August 30, and Iran’s response wasn’t a press conference. It was ballistic missiles aimed at American bases in Jordan. What happened on Larak Island US Central Command said the strike was “limited” and “precise,” targeting two IRGC rocket launchers on the island, which sits roughly 20 miles off Iran’s mainland. The trigger: American forces observed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel preparing to deploy sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s daily oil supply transits. The strike was the first US military action against Iranian positions in over a month, breaking a relative lull in hostilities that had been escalating since late February 2026, when joint US-Israeli operations began on February 28. Initial reports indicated at least two Iranian personnel killed and two wounded in the engagement. Larak Island has evolved into a key IRGC outpost for projecting power over commercial shipping lanes, where Iran has leveraged its military presence to reroute vessels closer to its shores and enforce a de facto toll on shippin...