US strikes Iran's Larak Island after rockets with sea mines spotted

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U.S. forces struck Iran’s Larak Island on Sunday, a U.S. official said, after observing military personnel preparing to deploy rockets loaded with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

“I can confirm that earlier today U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island,” U.S. CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement.

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

Sunday’s strikes in Iran mark the first from the U.S. in a month. Last week, Trump announced in a TruthSocial post that the U.S. Navy removed all mines from the strait’s main shipping lane, and Iran was notified that any new vessels attempting to place new mines would be “immediately and systematically destroyed.”

The move also comes after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced last week a new pressure campaign , dubbed “Operation Economic Outcast,” intended to economically isolate Iran after six months of war — warning foreign governments and companies that they could lose access to U.S. financial institutions for continued business with Tehran.

Larak Island is a small Iranian island located in the Strait of Hormuz — the key global shipping route that’s long been a major source of conflict since the start of the Iran war.