US strikes Iranian island where forces were preparing to launch mines, official says
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US strikes Iranian island where forces were preparing to launch mines, official says
1:47
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Iran and the United States traded attacks for the first time in over a month overnight into Monday, in an exchange that risks reigniting the damaging conflict after weeks of relative military calm
Iran said it fired missiles toward US military targets in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for a US strike on Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island. The US said Iran wastrying to launch sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz –– the shipping route that’s become the center of regional tensions and diplomatic efforts
The exchange of strikes sent global oil prices almost 3% higher and drove US stock indexes lower Monday. The attacks occurred days after President Donald Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz free from mines and broke with Washington’s shift to maximizing economic pressure on Iran rather than using military might
Six months into the festering conflict, the US and Iran are locked in battle over control of the waterway, which is critical to global energy supplies
The US targeted two Iranian rocket launchers on Iran’s Larak Island, where it observed Iranian forces preparing to launch rockets with mines into the strait, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command (CENTCOM)
In a Truth Social post on Monday that didn’t specifically mention the strikes, Trump once again criticized Iran as a “failed nation.” Iran’s “leadership is in total disarray and incapable of properly representing the country,” he added
“We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump also told Fox News on Monday. “There will be a response.”
Residents reported hearing an explosion near the island, a small landmass off the coast of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, according to state media, which reported casualties of Iranian forces and civilians
The military took “limited, precise action” against Iran’s “minelaying forces posing an imminent threat” in the critical waterway, CENTCOM later said in a post on X
“Iran created the threat and the US military eliminated it to protect civilian mariners, commercial shipping, and the free flow of global commerce.”
At least two people were killed and several others wounded in the strike on Larak Island, Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported, citing Qeshm County Governor Hossein Amirtaymouri. Iranian state media did not provide further details on the specific locations targeted
“We are not seeking war. … But in the face of aggression, we will never sit idly by, and we are capable of delivering a decisive response,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday, according to state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)
The broadcaster carried a statement by the country’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) calling the US strike “a strategic and deadly mistake” and vowing retaliation
Footage released by Iranian state media purports to show missiles launched by the IRGC toward US military installations in Jordan.
Jordan’s armed forces said their air defense systems intercepted and destroyed eight missiles that entered the country’s airspace. The military said the projectiles were neutralized before they could pose any threat to civilians or property
The UAE’s detection of a drone over its territorial waters followed earlier claims in Iranian state media that the IRGC targeted a base hosting US personnel there
The UAE denied that the base was targeted and condemned the attack as a “dangerous escalation,” adding that it “reserves the full right to respond,” according to a Foreign Ministry statement
Iran’s armed forces warned regional countries on Monday against allowing their territory, airspace or coastlines to be used for US military operations against Iran. In a statement carried by Iranian state media, the military said it would “decisively strike the point of origin of any aggression” while respecting the sovereignty of neighboring countries
The UAE was among the most frequently targeted countries at the height of the war earlier this year, but attacks have declined significantly in recent months
“US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” a US official said
Half a year after the war began, talks between the two countries have stalled, with the White House saying Thursday that there are no ongoing negotiations
But Iran and Oman continue discussions over a proposed arrangement to restore maritime traffic through the strait
Regional mediators, including Qatar, have backed the talks, while Iranian officials have repeatedly linked the future of navigation through the strait to broader discussions with Washington and regional security developments
Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the UAE president, said Monday that “the state of neither war nor peace cannot be a sustainable solution.”
“What is needed today are realistic and sustainable political solutions that address the political and economic dimensions of the crisis,” he said in a post on X
Sunday’s attack marked the first US strikes on Iran since July 29, when the US completed a “heavy wave of strikes” in response to an attempted attack on American military positions the day before
Trump in recent weeks has focused on increasing economic pain for Iran rather than military actions, claiming last week that the US’ financial strength will move the country “toward a very big victory.” The US Treasury Department has threatened damaging new sanctions on countries that refuse to cut economic ties with Iran, calling it an “economic D-Day.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters on Sunday that the department is likely to unveil new secondary economic sanctions on Iran weekly, focusing at first on banks
“You’re going to see a lot more of these every week,” Bessent said ahead of a Group of 20 finance leaders meeting. “We’re starting with the banks, and we’re telling the banks it’s not okay to have Iranian money and to aid the regime.”
This story has been updated with additional information
CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim, Aida Karimi, Helen Regan, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Auzinea Bacon contributed to this report
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