The United States and Iran exchanged direct strikes for the first time in a month, after US forces hit Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US military assets in Jordan and the UAE.
US Central Command said its forces took “limited, precise action” against Iranian minelaying forces it described as posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, striking two rocket launchers on Larak Island. Iranian state media reported the strike killed two people and wounded several others. It was the first exchange of fire between the two sides since late July.
What Happened
Hours after the US strike, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched a combined missile and drone operation, which it called “Punishment of the Aggressor,” against the King Hussein and Al Azraq air bases in Jordan. The IRGC said separately that it also targeted US military assets in the United Arab Emirates. Iran’s foreign ministry called the US strike on Larak Island a “direct violation of national sovereignty and territorial integrity” and said the Jordan strikes were a legitimate act of self-defense under the UN Charter.
Jordan’s military said its air defenses intercepted eight missiles that entered the kingdom’s airspace early Monday. Officials in Jordan and the UAE said all of the Iranian weapons fired at their territory were intercepted or fell without causing damage. Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned the Iranian strikes as a violation of sovereignty and international law.
Latest Developments
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in his first comments after the exchange that Iran was “not looking for war” but would not stay passive in the face of aggression, according to Iran’s Fars news agency. President Trump told Fox News on Monday that “we’re going to hit them hard” and that there would be a further response, without giving specifics. Separately, Trump posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social appearing to show Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal being destroyed, captioned “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens.” There was no evidence the island had actually been struck.
Key Facts
- US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first US strike on Iran since late July.
- Iranian state media said two people were killed and several wounded in the US strike.
- Iran’s IRGC retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Jordan’s King Hussein and Al Azraq bases and on US assets in the UAE.
- Jordan’s military said it intercepted eight incoming missiles; officials in both Jordan and the UAE reported no damage.
- Trump has threatened further US strikes but has not specified a timeline or targets.
Reactions
Qatar’s government called the Iranian strikes on Jordan and the UAE “a blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the two states.” National Iranian Oil Company chief executive Hamid Bovard dismissed Trump’s Kharg Island video, telling Iranian media conditions on the island were calm. The IRGC said any further US action would draw an even harsher response than Monday’s strikes.
Background
Sunday’s exchange marks the first active fighting between the US and Iran in roughly a month, following weeks of relative calm punctuated by continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, including two tanker strikes last week. The Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted since the US and Israel launched military action against Iran on February 28, with Iran carrying out repeated attacks on shipping and the US conducting naval operations to keep some tanker traffic moving. Kharg Island, the target of Trump’s video, handled the majority of Iran’s oil exports before the war began and has been repeatedly threatened by US officials as a potential target.
Why It Matters
The renewed direct exchange between US and Iranian forces raises the risk of a broader escalation after weeks in which fighting had largely been confined to shipping in the strait rather than direct strikes on military installations. Attacks on bases in Jordan and the UAE, both close US partners, widen the geographic scope of the conflict beyond Iran and the immediate waterway, drawing in additional regional governments. Trump’s public vow to “hit them hard” suggests further US action is likely, even as neither side has signaled interest in a ceasefire.
What Happens Next
Attention will likely turn to whether the US follows through on Trump’s threat of a stronger response, and whether Iran attempts further retaliation against US positions in the region. Diplomatic efforts by Qatar and Oman to de-escalate tensions over the strait, already underway before Sunday’s strikes, face a more difficult path following this exchange. Neither government has indicated whether the fighting will remain limited or expand further.
Sources: Al Jazeera, CNN, CBS News, The Hill.
