US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Iran’s Larak island on Sunday, a US official said, marking the first known American strikes on Iran since late July.
“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 [the] Strait of Hormuz,” the US official said.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the attack killed and wounded several soldiers and citizens, and would be met with a “response and punishment” from Tehran, Iranian state media reported.
“The US will pay for the attack on Larak Island on both economic and military fronts,” Iran’s Fars new agency quoted the Revolutionary Guards spokesman as saying.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the US carried out a drone strike on the island.
US President Donald Trump said last week that all mines had been detonated or removed from the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran has been told that any ship or boat placing new mines will be destroyed.