The United States military conducted strikes against two Iranian rocket launchers on Sunday, according to a U.S. official. The operation on Larak Island represents the first American attack on targets within Iran in more than a month. U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (Centcom), stated that American forces observed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) \"preparing to launch rockets with sea mines\" into the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident follows recent efforts by Centcom to clear the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international shipping route. Last week, Admiral Brad Cooper, the Centcom commander, announced that U.S. forces had successfully cleared all Iranian sea mines from internationally recognized transit lanes. The IRGC has been engaged in a campaign to restrict shipping in the waterway, which includes the laying of mines and other navigational restrictions.
The Sunday operation was the first U.S. strike on Iranian territory since July 29, when Centcom forces launched airstrikes following an IRGC attack on an American military base in Jordan. In addition to military actions, the Trump administration increased economic measures against Iran on Monday. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued sanctions against nearly 60 entities, individuals, and vessels alleged to support the Iranian government’s nuclear and missile programs, cyber operations, and oil-revenue networks.
The scale of the economic response includes Treasury Department sanctions on nearly 60 specific targets. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the administration is communicating timelines for action to foreign countries doing business with Iran, though he did not name the nations involved. Failure to respond to these timelines could lead to further \"ramifications,\" according to Bessent.
The ongoing maritime tensions have prompted diplomatic efforts to establish a temporary shipping corridor. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi reported that Iranian and Omani officials held talks regarding a new pathway for commercial vessels, citing the Islamabad Memorandum as a framework for a permanent solution. While the Omani government expressed hope for an announcement soon, no specific date for the opening of such a corridor has been confirmed, and U.S. forces continue to monitor the area.