Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A fresh US-Iran confrontation has erupted around the Strait of Hormuz, after American forces struck Iranian military targets on Larak Island over what Washington said was a threat to deploy sea mines in the crucial shipping route. The strike marks the first known US attack inside Iran since late July, when President Donald Trump halted a two-week American military campaign linked to the strait. The latest action has drawn an immediate threat of retaliation from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
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A US official told media outlet Axios that American forces targeted two Iranian launchers on Larak Island after IRGC forces were seen preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
“Earlier today, US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into Strait of Hormuz,” the official said, as per Axios. The official added that US forces were “monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce” through the strait.
“I can confirm that earlier today US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into Strait of Hormuz,” a US official confirmed to Reuters later.
The flare-up comes shortly after the US military completed an operation to clear mines from the main shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump had issued a stark warning to Tehran following the operation, saying any ship or boat involved in placing new mines would be “immediately and systematically destroyed”.
“There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
IRGC VOWS TO PUNISH US
Iran quickly hit back with a warning.
The IRGC said the US attack “will be answered by the sons of Iran and will result in the punishment of the aggressor”, according to Iranian state media. According to news agency Reuters, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that the attack killed and wounded several Iranian personnel and civilians. Iranian Revolutionary Guards spokesperson also said the US would pay for the attack on Larak Island on both economic and military fronts.
Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, separately reported that a drone carried out the strike, killing two people and wounding two others.
The strikes could reignite the military confrontation as Washington increasingly shifts from its bombing campaign towards financial pressure, with the conflict now entering its seventh month. In recent weeks, the US has asserted greater control over the strategic waterway, saying it has been able to move millions of barrels of oil through the strait under military protection despite Iran’s blockade.
However, attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz have continued to be reported almost daily, while Tehran has maintained that the vital waterway remains closed. Iran has previously retaliated against similar US strikes by launching missiles and drones at military bases in neighbouring countries that host American troops.
Last week, US President Donald Trump’s administration announced “D-Day” sanctions to squeeze Iran financially, threatening secondary sanctions against countries and companies that continue doing business with Tehran. However, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has warned that Washington remains ready to resort to military force if necessary.
US officials have flagged what they describe as Iran’s declining grip over the Strait of Hormuz, while also arguing that sanctions and the military blockade of Iranian ports are pushing the country towards economic collapse. Tehran, for its part, has continued to reject such pressure and insisted that it is prepared for a prolonged conflict.
WHY LARAK ISLAND MATTERS
Larak is a small Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, located off the coast of Bandar Abbas, east of Qeshm Island and south of Hormuz Island. It covers roughly 49 square kilometres, but its location gives it outsized strategic importance. The island sits close to one of the world’s most important maritime choke points.
The island is home to an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy base and has long had military significance because of its position overlooking shipping routes through the strait. Historical accounts also record military installations and missile sites on Larak.
Larak’s importance is closely tied to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. The strait is a critical route for global energy supplies, with about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passing through it before the current conflict disrupted traffic.
Washington’s strike therefore carries significance beyond the immediate confrontation. The US has made keeping the waterway open a central objective, while Tehran has used the possibility of disrupting shipping through the strait as leverage during periods of heightened tensions. The Larak Island strike now threatens to open another chapter in the confrontation, with both sides signalling that the issue of sea mines could trigger further military action.
– Ends
With inputs from agencies
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
