US forces have struck two missile launchers on the Iranian island of Larak, a US official said, quoted by Reuters. These are the first US strikes against Iran since late July, the agency notes.
„I can confirm that earlier today (last night – ed. note) US forces struck two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island. "It was observed that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces were preparing to launch missiles with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz," the US official said.
The IRGC said several soldiers and civilians were killed and wounded in the attack and that Tehran would respond with "retaliation and punishment," Iranian state media reported.
According to the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim, the US carried out a drone strike on the island.
US President Donald Trump said last week that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters in the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran had been informed that any ship or boat that laid new mines would be destroyed.
The last publicly announced US strikes against Iran were in late July, and the conflict has been at a stalemate in recent weeks, with Washington threatens to impose severe sanctions on countries that support Iran, Reuters reports.
The United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and Iran responded with strikes on Israel and the Persian Gulf countries where American bases are located. The conflict with Iran has been going on for more than six months.
The US-Israeli strikes on Iran and the Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed thousands of local residents and forced millions to flee their homes. Eighteen US service members have also been killed in the conflict.
The war led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil consumption passed before the conflict.