US strikes Iranian targets near Strait of Hormuz for first time in weeks as tensions reignite

US military forces struck Iranian rocket launchers along the Strait of Hormuz on August 30, breaking a nearly month-long pause in direct military exchanges between the two countries. The strikes, carried out by US Central Command, targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps positions that were allegedly preparing to deploy rockets armed with sea mines into international shipping lanes. Iran’s state media confirmed explosions near Larak Island and reported casualties among IRGC personnel. Iranian officials responded with threats of retaliation, calling the American action a “fatal mistake.” No US casualties were reported. What happened at the Strait CENTCOM said the strikes were a direct response to observed IRGC preparations to launch rockets carrying sea mines, a weapon designed to turn one of the world’s most important waterways into an obstacle course for commercial vessels. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly a fifth of the world’s petroleum trade on any given day. This was the first US military action targeting Iran in about a month. The previous round of strikes occurred in mid-July, which itself followed engagements in late June after a short-lived ceasefire fell apart. That...