US Forces Strike 2 Iranian Rocket Launchers on Island in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Aug. 30.

“Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson and Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told the Epoch Times in an email on Sunday afternoon.

The strikes were an attempt to protect operations in the crucial waterway after CENTCOM completed the clearing of sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes last week.

“U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” Hawkins added.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said several Iranian military personnel and civilians were killed and wounded in the attack, according to Iranian state media.

The IRGC “vowed to respond to the act of aggression,” state media reported.

The attack happened one day after a U.K. Maritime Trade Operations report suggested on Aug. 29 that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile near Khasab, Oman, as it was transiting inbound in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial waterway that was previously used to transport one-fifth of the world’s traded oil before the war with Iran broke out on Feb. 28 and heavily slowed traffic.

This is a developing story and will be updated.